The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday termed the allegations circulating in the media and on social media regarding the date mentioned on the draft voters’ list for the 2025 civic elections as “baseless”.
In a statement, the civic body said the confusion had arisen because the draft list received from the State Election Commission (SEC) carried the earlier scheduled date. As per the original timeline issued by SEC, the draft voters’ list was to be published on November 14. Accordingly, the Mumbai civic body received the draft list from SEC bearing that date.
However, the state election body later issued a revised schedule directing that the draft list be published on November 20. BMC said it complied with the updated instructions and released the list only on November 20.
The civic administration clarified that although the printed copies of the voters’ list carried the earlier date of November 14, the list was neither uploaded on the website nor distributed from the BMC’s election department before November 20.
“Creating confusion or making allegations on the basis of the date mentioned on the draft voters’ list is unfounded,” BMC stated in a press release, adding that all procedures were followed strictly as per SEC’s directions.
Maharashtra local body elections: Aaditya Thackeray targets State Election Commission over draft voters list
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC), alleging serious irregularities in the draft voters’ list released ahead of the December 2 Maharashtra local body elections.
Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the draft list uploaded on the SEC’s website for Mumbai displayed a publication date different from the officially announced date of 20 November. In a post on X, the former state minister said the draft list was first scheduled for release on November 7, then postponed to November 14, before finally being uploaded on November 20.
However, he alleged that when one of his party’s office-bearers purchased an official copy of the list from the BMC’s central election office, the document bore a publication date of November 14.
Aaditya Thackeray described this discrepancy as an “anti-national” act by the authorities.
He questioned why the Election Commission had held back the list for a week if it had indeed been finalised on November 14.
Aaditya Thackeray further asked whether the SEC was waiting for “orders from political bosses” and whether the list had been accessed or altered before being made public.
