MVA, MNS to Hold Rally Despite Police Denial

The rally is being organised to protest against alleged electoral roll manipulation in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, with opposition parties claiming that around 96 lakh fake votes were added in the 2024 polls.

The rally is likely to be attended by several leaders from both MVA and MNS, including state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, among others. It is scheduled to begin at 1 PM from Metro Cinema and proceed to the BMC office.

On October 26, Raj Thackeray criticised the Election Commission ahead of the local body elections, alleging that 9.6 million fake voters had been added. He said, “Reliable information has just been received that 9.6 million fake voters have been added. This is an insult to the voters of Maharashtra and the country. All the group presidents, branch presidents, and election list heads should go door to door and count the votes. I’m asking the Election Commission not to hold elections in Maharashtra until this is clean.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also backed Thackeray’s claim, alleging electoral irregularities and “match-fixing” during elections, and demanded a thorough investigation. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of “match-fixing” and manipulating elections.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has openly criticised the BJP, accusing it of manipulating the electoral process to seize power. He expressed concern over the Election Commission’s reluctance to address these issues, prompting today’s demonstration.

“All our opposition parties, including Raj Thackeray’s party, are participating in it. They (NDA) stole votes and seized power. This theft has been caught, yet the Election Commission is not willing to listen. That’s why today’s protest demonstration is happening,” he said.

Multiple opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, have raised concerns over the electoral roll, alleging that the Election Commission of India is colluding with the BJP to help the party win elections.

Earlier, NCP-SCP leader Anil Deshmukh, commenting on the protest in Mumbai against alleged vote theft, emphasised the need for corrections in the voter list. He pointed out discrepancies, citing that 130 names were registered at a single address, including that of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner, despite his residence being an official bungalow.