Delhi Braces For Political Showdown With INDIA Bloc's Ramlila Maidan Rally And BJP's Counter-Sikh Protest March

The stage is set for a major political confrontation in the national capital on Sunday, November 1, as the opposition INDIA bloc prepares for its mega 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans a counter-protest in West Delhi.

Opposition leaders and supporters from several states have started arriving in Delhi for the rally, organised to protest irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

कल मिलते हैं, साथ चलते हैं! कनॉट प्लेस मिंटो रोड जंक्शन ➡️ अजमेरी गेट ⤵️ रामलीला मैदान 🗓️ 1 नवंबर | 🕛 दोपहर 12 बजे #ChaloDilli https://t.co/Rp1Ed6sHQU

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 31, 2026

The INDIA bloc has appealed to students, youth, women, workers and civil society members to join the demonstration. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by Abhijeet Dipke, and several student organisations have extended support to the mobilisation in support of free and fair elections.

ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi Invites People For March From Connaught Place Ahead Of Ramlila Maidan Rally; Delhi Police Reacts

INDIA Bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' March

The INDIA bloc has scheduled a procession starting at noon from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction, culminating in the main rally at Ramlila Maidan scheduled from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Top opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, are expected to travel in open buses from Kharge's residence to the march's starting point.

Preparations at Ramlila Maidan include a main stage under a tricolour canopy for senior leaders and a secondary stage with white canopy enclosures for state unit representatives. Organisers have set up seating, security barricades, entry gates, drinking water, and separate toilets for women. Overnight stay at the venue is not permitted.

While INDIA bloc leaders expect a turnout of up to 10 lakh people, Delhi Police estimates around 50,000. Official estimates indicate that while Ramlila Maidan can accommodate 45,000 to 50,000 people when empty, infrastructure such as chairs, enclosures, and passageways reduces internal capacity to 30,000 to 40,000, with designated space outside to handle crowd spillover.

Over 4,000 Personnel To Be Deployed

More than 4,000 police personnel, alongside Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) units, will be deployed to oversee security along the route and around the venue. Ramlila Maidan has been divided into 14 security zones, each supervised by an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Surveillance measures include over 200 CCTV cameras, drones, body-worn cameras, and an on-site control room.

Delhi Police clarified that while permission was granted for the assembly at Ramlila Maidan, no application was received for the proposed march from Minto Road.

ALSO READ: Delhi Traffic Alert: 11 Key Roads To Face Restrictions During INDIA Bloc Rally; Check Routes, Diversions

Traffic Restrictions Across Central Delhi

Delhi Traffic Police has issued a travel advisory announcing restrictions and diversions from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday across Central Delhi:

• Key Diversion Points: ITO, Delhi Gate, Rajghat, Ajmeri Gate, and Turkman Gate.
• Routes To Avoid: Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Minto Road, and Desh Bandhu Gupta Road.
• Emergency Vehicles: Special arrangements will be made for ambulances heading to LNJP and GB Pant hospitals. Passengers travelling to New Delhi Railway Station are advised to plan their journey in advance.

BJP Counter-Protest In Hari Nagar

To counter the INDIA bloc's rally, the BJP has announced a protest march starting at 11:00 AM on Sunday in West Delhi's Hari Nagar.

Led by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra, the march will feature families of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, with an estimated 5,000 participants expected.

1 नवम्बर को पश्चिमी दिल्ली के हरि नगर में सिख समाज के संस्थानों के साथ भाजपा कार्यकर्ता सांकेतिक विरोध मार्च में शामिल होंगे। देश का सिख समाज चाहता है कि कांग्रेस, राहुल गांधी को 1 नवम्बर 2026 को री-लॉन्च करने से पहले 1 नवम्बर 1984 को कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं द्वारा निर्दोष सिखों के किए गए नरसंहार के लिए माफी मांगे। यह खेदपूर्ण है कि अपने विफल नेता को री-लॉन्च करने के लिए 1 नवम्बर का दिन चुनकर कांग्रेस ने देश के सिख समाज की भावनाओं को आहत किया है। वहीं, उसे दिल्ली के व्यापारियों के व्यापार को होने वाले नुकसान और प्रदूषण बढ़ने से नागरिकों को होने वाली परेशानियों की भी कोई परवाह नहीं है। वर्ष 1984 में कांग्रेस द्वारा किए गए सिख नरसंहार से पीड़ित दिल्ली के सिख परिवारों, समाज एवं संस्थानों के अनुरोध पर दिल्ली भाजपा ने हजारों सिख नागरिकों एवं भाजपा कार्यकर्ताओं के साथ कांग्रेस की संवेदनहीनता के विरुद्ध 1 नवम्बर को पश्चिमी दिल्ली के सिख बहुल क्षेत्र हरि नगर में एक सांकेतिक विरोध मार्च आयोजित करने का निर्णय लिया है। इस विरोध मार्च का नेतृत्व केंद्रीय मंत्री सरदार हरदीप सिंह पुरी करेंगे- प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री @hdmalhotra

— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) October 30, 2026

In a post on X, the Delhi BJP stated that the Sikh community of the country wants that before Congress re-launches Rahul Gandhi on 1 November 2026, it should apologise for the massacre of innocent Sikhs carried out by Congress workers on 1 November 1984.

(With Inputs From PTI)