MVA and MNS hold protest rally in Mumbai over alleged electoral roll manipulation

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) went ahead with their rally in Mumbai on Friday despite not receiving police permission. The protest was organised to highlight alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, with opposition parties claiming that around 96 lakh fake votes had been added.

The rally, attended by several senior leaders from both alliances, began at 1 PM from Metro Cinema in South Mumbai and proceeded towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) office. Prominent participants included Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, among others.

The protest follows a series of statements made by opposition leaders accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to maintain the integrity of the voter list. On October 26, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had publicly criticised the Election Commission, alleging that 9.6 million fake voters had been added to the rolls. He described this as an “insult to the voters of Maharashtra and the country” and urged the ECI not to hold elections until the lists were corrected.

“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 am asking the Election Commission not to hold elections in Maharashtra until this is clean,” Raj Thackeray said while addressing party workers.

Supporting his allegations, Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “match-fixing” elections and demanded a detailed investigation into alleged electoral irregularities. He asserted that manipulation in the electoral rolls amounted to an organised attempt to distort the democratic process.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also echoed similar concerns, accusing the BJP of using fake votes to seize power. He criticised the Election Commission for its reluctance to address the issue. “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,” Wadettiwar said.

Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP–SP) leader Anil Deshmukh further pointed out discrepancies in the voter lists, citing instances where 130 names were registered under a single address, including that of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, despite his residence being an official bungalow.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition members have also raised concerns, alleging that the Election Commission was working in collusion with the ruling BJP to influence electoral outcomes.

The rally by MVA and MNS, held despite police denial of permission, reflects growing discontent among opposition parties over alleged voter roll manipulation. The protest aims to pressure the Election Commission to initiate a thorough verification of the electoral rolls and take corrective measures to ensure transparency in Maharashtra’s democratic process.