Rs 12,000 Crore Business At Stake: Traders Ask Sonia Gandhi To Postpone November 1 Rally

New Delhi: After multiple letters to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has now made a last-ditch appeal to Sonia Gandhi. With just a day left for the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan traders have turned to the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, seeking her intervention to get the event postponed until after Diwali.The mega-rally, planned for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan with an expected turnout of 10 lakh people, is estimated to bring 15,000 to 20,000 buses carrying protesters apart from private cars of the political leaders. The large number of vehicles, according to the CTI, will block roads leading to nearby markets putting business worth Rs 12,000 crore at stake.The CTI has urged Sonia Gandhi to shift the gathering to a date after Diwali, specifically after November 10-11 or move it to Burari Ground, where it claims parking space is available for around 15,000 vehicles."We appealed to Rahul Gandhi, but he refused. Now our last hope is Sonia Gandhi," CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said.The CTI has warned that the rally, expected to draw around 10 lakh people, could bring 20 major markets in Old and Central Delhi to a standstill, disrupting business worth Rs 10,000-12,000 crore a day, according to its estimates.Goyal said traders were not opposing the rally but appealing to political leaders to protect their livelihoods during the festive season."We are not opposing the rally. We are pleading with folded hands to save our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season," he said.Delhi | Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written a letter to the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Sonia Gandhi, requesting that the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally be rescheduled to a date after Diwali, specifically after November 10–11. CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal stated, "If 1 million people and 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles enter Central Delhi on November 1st, the daily business turnover of Rs 10,000–12,000 crore across 20 historic markets will come to a complete standstill."— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 202620 Markets, Rs 12,000 Crore At StakeDhanteras falls on November 6 and Diwali on November 8. According to CTI, November 1 is a crucial day for traders preparing for the festive rush.The association said nearly 20 wholesale and retail markets lie within five kilometres of Ramlila Maidan, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Chawri Bazar, Kashmere Gate, Karol Bagh and Daryaganj.READ | 20 Markets, 20 Traders, 20 Minutes: Delhi Trade Body's Offer To Rahul GandhiThese markets supply goods across the country, with around 5,000 trucks and tempos bringing in merchandise daily from Delhi's industrial areas and another 3,000 transporting goods to NCR cities and other states, CTI claimed.20,000 Vehicles, Where Will They Park?The traders' body fears that 15,000-20,000 buses, cars and other vehicles carrying rally participants could choke roads around Ramlila Maidan.It claimed the venue lacks parking space for even 200 large buses, raising concerns over vehicles spilling onto Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and roads surrounding the markets.READ | 1 Million People, 20,000 Vehicles And Gridlock: Traders' Note To Rahul GandhiThe disruption could begin on October 31 itself, CTI warned, as vehicles start arriving through the Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Badarpur borders.Goyal claimed transporters were already reluctant to dispatch goods on October 31, fearing barricades and traffic restrictions.The association warned of "lockdown-like" traffic conditions that could affect festive supplies.Delhi Police have granted conditional permission for the rally, scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm, directing organisers to park vehicles only at designated locations.Rahul's "30 Seconds" ReplyThe fresh appeal follows Rahul Gandhi's response to traders earlier this week. He said the protest could end in "30 seconds" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.READ | Rahul Gandhi Tells Traders How To End Ramlila Maidan Protest In '30 Seconds'"To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The government shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote nothing is safe - your shop, your savings, your children's future," the Congress MP who's also Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote in Hindi on X."Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar, and the protests will stop in 30 seconds," he said.To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The Govt shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote nothing is safe - your shop, your savings, your children's future. Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar and the protests will stop in 30 seconds. दिल्ली के हर व्यापारी से: हम आपसे प्यार करते हैं, आपकी बात सुन रहे हैं। मेट्रो सरकार ने बंद की, सड़कें सरकार ने सील की, राजधानी पर ताला सरकार ने लगाया। जब वोट ही चोरी हो जाए, तो कुछ भी सुरक्षित नहीं - न आपकी दुकान, न आपकी बचत, न आपके बच्चों का भविष्य। मोदी जी से कहिए - आरोपी नंबर 4, ज्ञानेश कुमार को हटाएं, 30 सेकंड में आंदोलन रुक जाएगा।— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 26, 2026The rally is part of the Opposition's campaign against alleged electoral irregularities.