Uddhav Thackeray Calls for Clean Voter Rolls Before Maharashtra Local Elections

Thackeray's Stance on Local Body Elections

On Monday, Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), emphasized the necessity of ensuring that the electoral rolls are thoroughly cleaned before conducting local body elections in Maharashtra. He made these remarks during a press conference, asserting that the elections should not proceed until the voter lists are rectified.

Thackeray dismissed accusations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, claiming that the Opposition was engaging in 'appeasement politics' by highlighting discrepancies in the voter lists.

Earlier, BJP leader Ashish Shelar had criticized both Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin, Raj Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, for allegedly promoting division among communities by pointing out irregularities in the Hindu voter entries without addressing those from other groups.

The Supreme Court has mandated that local body elections in Maharashtra must be held by January 31, 2026.

Uddhav Thackeray's comments followed Raj Thackeray's recent statements regarding the presence of bogus voters during a joint rally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Raj Thackeray had previously stated that local elections should be postponed until the issue of 'bogus voters' on the electoral rolls is resolved, a sentiment echoed by Uddhav Thackeray.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition includes Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, and the Congress party.

During the press conference, Uddhav Thackeray insisted that the Election Commission must first address issues such as duplicate and fraudulent entries in the voter lists.

He clarified, 'Neither Shiv Sena nor any Opposition party has referred to any bogus voter by religion. We are not against elections; we simply want them to occur after the rolls are cleaned.'

Thackeray also criticized the Election Commission and the central government, alleging that they are 'afraid of Gen Z,' as those who turn 18 after July 1 would be ineligible to vote in the upcoming local elections due to the cut-off date set by the poll panel.

He encouraged voters to visit local Uddhav Sena offices to confirm their registration status and check for any errors or omissions.

'We are establishing centers for voter convenience,' Thackeray stated. 'It is essential for people to verify their eligibility at polling stations to understand how many young individuals are being denied their voting rights.'

Raj Thackeray had claimed that 4,500 voters registered in Thane's Kalyan rural, Dombivli, Bhiwandi, and Murbad constituencies had cast their votes in Mumbai's Malabar Hill during last year's elections.

He did not clarify whether he was referring to the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.

'It is evident that they voted twice,' Raj Thackeray remarked, asserting that there are numerous such cases across Maharashtra.

He noted that his party's investigations revealed inconsistencies in the voter lists in Mumbai, citing specific numbers of 'suspicious' voters in various constituencies.

In July, the Election Commission clarified that there is no official category of 'suspicious voters' under the 1951 Representation of the People Act.

Recently, Uddhav Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray raised concerns about discrepancies in the voter list for his Worli Assembly constituency, reporting significant anomalies.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi secured 30 out of 48 seats, while the Mahayuti alliance won 18 seats.

In the subsequent Assembly elections held in November, the Mahayuti alliance achieved victory in 230 seats, with the Maha Vikas Aghadi winning 46 seats.

The Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi have repeatedly accused the ruling party of large-scale electoral fraud in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

In February, the Congress urged the Election Commission to clarify how the number of registered voters exceeded the adult population of the state.

The Election Commission responded by stating that allegations aimed at discrediting it by parties dissatisfied with the election results were unfounded.