New Delhi, Oct 9 (KNS): A delegation of more than 10 INDIA bloc leaders is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at 8 pm on Friday to raise concerns over the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of vote manipulation, India Today reported, citing top sources.

According to the report, Rashtrapati Bhavan has granted an appointment to the opposition delegation, with six leaders finalised so far and consultations underway to decide the remaining members.

The leaders whose names have been finalised include Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and Samajwadi Party leader Rajiv Rai.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is not in Delhi and is unlikely to attend the meeting, the report said.

India Today reported that INDIA bloc MPs were scheduled to assemble at 5 pm in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament building, to discuss their strategy and finalise the composition of the delegation.

The MPs have been asked to remain available between 5 pm and 8 pm as coordination among the alliance partners continues.

The development comes amid sustained protests by opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise, with the INDIA bloc alleging irregularities in electoral processes and demanding the resignation of the poll panel chief.

According to the report, the opposition alliance had earlier sought an appointment with President Murmu to formally present its concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal had said on Thursday that the alliance first approached Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 2, seeking a meeting with the President.

Following a request from Rashtrapati Bhavan for the names of participating leaders, the bloc submitted another communication on October 5, seeking an appointment on October 7, 8 or 9.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The opposition had indicated that further protest options would be considered if the appointment was not granted.

The INDIA bloc has intensified its agitation over alleged "vote chori", staging demonstrations in the national capital over the past three days.

On Thursday, opposition leaders held a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, accusing the BJP-led Central government and the Election Commission of undermining electoral transparency.

The protest marked the third consecutive day of demonstrations against the Chief Election Commissioner and the electoral roll revision exercise.

Opposition leaders reiterated their demand for Kumar's resignation and pledged to continue their campaign against what they described as irregularities in the electoral process.

The Rajghat demonstration followed two days of protests during which several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained by police.

India Today further reported that the opposition had finalised a joint action plan involving rallies and "save democracy" marches to intensify its campaign over the SIR controversy.

The row has also gained momentum following an Indian Express report claiming that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, mostly concerning decisions related to the revision of electoral rolls.

The Election Commission, however, maintained that differing views and observations were part of normal institutional deliberations and asserted that all its decisions carried legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.

The scheduled meeting with President Murmu comes as the INDIA bloc seeks to escalate its concerns over the Election Commission and electoral roll revision through constitutional channels while continuing its political protests. (KNS)