EC Functioning Row: 'Only That Will Restore Credibility', Says O.P. Rawat

The venue for the opposition's planned mock parliament session has reportedly been shifted to the official residence of Congress President and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge at 10 Rajaji Marg. Opposition parties stated that permission was denied for their initial choice, Hotel Ashoka, while Ramlila Maidan was also evaluated as an alternative. Sources indicate that the mock parliament, aimed at symbolically impeaching Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, is scheduled to take place on October 30 with parliamentarians in attendance. The move aims to mount pressure on the ruling dispensation. Accommodating the large assembly of parliamentarians and media at the residence garden is expected to present logistical challenges.

The Election Commission of India has filed a 250-page counter affidavit in the Supreme Court, rejecting allegations of unilateral decision-making by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision process. The poll body maintained that all three orders were unanimous and Form 6 remains unchanged, while the Supreme Court granted petitioners ten days to respond. Meanwhile, a political showdown is building ahead of 1 November, with the INDIA bloc preparing a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to target the poll panel chief, and the Bharatiya Janata Party planning counter foot marches led by Chief Ministers and Union Ministers across multiple states.

Former Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was arrested by the Chennai Central Crime Branch following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by the Madras High Court in an alleged ₹100 crore corruption case. The allegations centre on kickbacks collected from private schools in exchange for government recognition and approvals, with references made to party funds. The arrest has triggered a fierce political confrontation between the DMK and TVK. While the DMK dismissed the action as political vendetta and claimed Mahesh's family and legal counsel were denied access, the TVK maintained that corrupt leaders are facing accountability, with State Minister Nirmal Kumar alleging an even larger scam.

A debate on the unprecedented prison break in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where seventeen inmates escaped from custody before thirteen were nabbed. Former IPS officer Sanjay Sahay notes that correctional facilities are administered by the prison department rather than the state police, highlighting severe understaffing, missing multi-tier security barriers, and an urgent demand for technology upgrades. Sahay remarked, 'I think this political slugfest is fouling the policing atmosphere.' Meanwhile, political analyst S. Muralidharan attributes shortcomings to systemic degradation under the previous DMK government and stresses ongoing reforms under the TVK administration, citing the suspension of negligent wardens and the role of CCTV networks. In contrast, political analyst Harish Mohamed Ibrahim criticises the administration for deflecting blame, pointing to recent governance failures and lapses in intelligence. The discussion underscores critical gaps in jail protocols, operational surveillance, and the necessity of structural correctional blueprints.