Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday made a presentation on anomalies in the voters list titled ‘Bogus Sarkar Bogus Matadar (fake government, fake voters)’, claiming that this was the root cause behind the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) defeat in the Assembly elections. Highlighting the large-scale irregularities in the voters’ list, he launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Aaditya, the MLA from the Worli Assembly constituency, made the presentation on similar lines to the one made in September by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader had presented evidence alleging widespread electoral roll manipulation. At the time, he termed the entire process as ‘Vote Chori’, the charges which were refuted by the ECI.
While making a presentation to Sena UBT leaders and workers at a meeting held at the NSCI Dome in Worli on Monday, Aaditya asserted that in May 2024, Lok Sabha elections were held and the MVA got a massive victory. However, the results in the Assembly elections (held in October) were the opposite and shocking for many. “Some first thought the issue was with EVMs or VVPATs. But later it was realised that the real problem lies in the faulty voters list,” Thackeray said, accusing the government of benefiting from fake and deleted voter entries.
With Maharashtra gearing up for the local body polls, including BMC and 28 other municipal corporations, Thackeray Jr maintained that once the draft electoral rolls are published, the real fight will begin. “Now, the election fight will not be through rallies or banners, but through efforts to clean up the voter list. If the rolls are corrected, genuine voters will elect genuine representatives,” Thackeray said and asked Sena (UBT) workers to scrutinise the latest electoral rolls published by the state election office.
Aaditya, during the presentation, gave an example of his Worli Assembly constituency, alleging that a person’s name was deleted in the Lok Sabha voter list, citing that the person is dead. But the same person’s name appeared in the voter list for the Assembly polls. “I believe the person was reborn and his name was added in the list,” Thackeray said sarcastically, citing major errors and faults in the electoral rolls.
Further, the Sena (UBT) leader, through his presentation, explained drastic changes in the voters’ list of Worli, between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held in May 2024 and October 2024, respectively.
According to Aaditya, the total number of voters increased from 2,52,970 in May to 2,63,352 in October. “Nearly 16,000 voters were added in the span of four months. During the same period, nearly 5000 voters were deleted. But when we conducted a detailed analysis of the entire list, we found 19,000 anomalies. This is nothing but Vote Chori,” Aaditya alleged.
Uddhav lashes out at govt
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Monday accused the ruling government of influencing the voters’ list for its benefit. Addressing the crowd at an auditorium in Worli, Uddhav sarcastically said, “In a democracy, people elect the government. But, today, it seems the government is deciding who the voters will be.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party workers to begin verifying voter lists. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Reiterating what Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had mentioned earlier, Uddhav too warned that unless electoral rolls are rectified, the party will not allow elections to be conducted.
Mobilising party workers, Uddhav stated that each electoral list will comprise 1200 voters. “If one considers an average of four to five persons in one house, party workers will have to visit 300 houses to verify the list. I urge party workers to begin this exercise immediately, so that on voting day, political parties’ polling agents can identify and differentiate between genuine and bogus voters,” Uddav said.
Further, hitting back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on dynasty politics in Mumbai on Monday, Uddhav said, “Shah is talking about family rule. But what about his own son (read as Amit Shah’s son Jay), who is running Indian cricket? Is it on merit or because of the dynasty?”
