INDIA Bloc Targets One Million for November 1 Delhi Rally Amid Trade Concerns

Preparations are underway in Delhi for an opposition INDIA bloc mega rally scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan. The protest is planned against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress leaders claim that more than one million people will attend the gathering. According to reported figures, the party has set a target to bring at least 350,000 attendees from outside Delhi, which reportedly includes:

• Up to 150,000 from Haryana
• 100,000 from Rajasthan
• 50,000 from Uttar Pradesh
• 20,000 from Himachal Pradesh
• 15,000 from Telangana

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra recently visited Ramlila Maidan alongside senior party figures to inspect the preparations.

Political Reactions and Business Concerns

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the planned event and announced a counter-march titled "Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy," accusing the opposition of spreading political instability and confusion.

Simultaneously, the Chamber of Trade and Industry in Delhi has expressed strong concerns regarding the timing of the rally during the peak festive shopping season. The trade body estimates that existing protests and disruptions have caused business losses amounting to ₹3,000 crore, affecting wholesale, retail, hospitality, transport, and informal workers.

Traders fear that the large gathering will heavily disrupt traffic and impact commercial activity in nearby markets such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, and Connaught Place. Consequently, business representatives have written to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as opposition figures Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, requesting that the rally be postponed until after Diwali. Responses to these appeals were still awaited.