The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday claimed the BJP had scored a “self-goal” by acknowledging the presence of fraudulent voters, following Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar’s assertion that names of the same electors had appeared multiple times across constituencies, reported the PTI.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray dismissed the ruling BJP’s accusation of “appeasement politics” regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral roll, insisting that neither the Shiv Sena (UBT) nor other opposition parties had identified any bogus voter by religion.
He reiterated that local body elections in Maharashtra should only take place once the voter lists have been thoroughly cleaned up.
The exchange of accusations began after senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar accused Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray of indulging in appeasement politics and attempting to pressure government officials ahead of the local polls.
Shelar alleged that the Opposition was trying to create a “false narrative”.
Responding to Raj Thackeray’s earlier comments that certain voters from Kalyan Rural, Murbad, and Bhiwandi had also voted in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, Ashish Shelar described such actions as “the height of appeasement”. He questioned why only Marathi voters were being targeted for duplication, as per the PTI.
Citing examples from the Karjat–Jamkhed constituency, represented by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, Shelar claimed that individuals like Imran Kadar Bagwan and Tabassum Abdul Mulani had duplicate entries. “Why did Raj Thackeray not see these cases but only those of Patil and Bhoir? Why this selective outrage?” he asked.
Shelar urged the Thackeray cousins to support the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision drive instead of targeting particular communities. “Multiple entries of Muslims and other minorities are ignored, but they only talk about Hindus, Dalits, and Marathis. The Thackeray brothers must introspect,” he added, alleging that the Opposition was attempting to influence government staff and sway the upcoming elections, the news agency reported.
At a separate press conference, Uddhav Thackeray accused the Election Commission (EC) and the Union government of being “afraid of Gen Z”, arguing that those turning 18 after July 1 would be denied the right to vote under the EC’s current eligibility cut-off, according to the PTI.
“The Election Commission must rectify duplicate and bogus entries in the electoral roll. We have not mentioned religion at all. We are not opposing elections, but they must only be held after the rolls are corrected,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Taking a dig at Shelar, Uddhav Thackeray remarked that the minister had “unknowingly shown courage” by calling Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ‘Maharashtra’s Pappu’ for failing to recognise irregularities. He also hinted at internal rifts within the BJP, saying Shelar had “killed many birds with one stone.”
“If the BJP agrees that there are issues with the electoral roll, they should join us in petitioning the Election Commission. We will move the court to seek corrections,” he declared.
Aaditya Thackeray said the BJP had effectively admitted the existence of fraudulent voters by acknowledging “double voting”, calling it a “self-goal”. In an X post, he wrote that the BJP was “resorting to Hindu–Muslim politics” as it had “no achievements to show in 11 years of rule”, adding that the controversy revealed factional infighting within the BJP.
He noted that the BJP had echoed the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s earlier revelations about irregularities in the voter data, and demanded that the Election Commission “come clean”.
Uddhav Thackeray also expressed concerns over the Election Commission’s Saksham app and server, suggesting that glitches could result in genuine voters being wrongfully deleted. “We are exposing the corrupt practices of the Election Commission. If you find voters registered at your address who don’t live there, report them. The Opposition will approach the courts to ensure the voter lists are corrected before polls,” he said.
The Supreme Court has instructed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to hold the local body elections by January 31, 2026. Over the weekend, the Maha Vikas Aghadi and MNS staged a protest march against alleged voter list irregularities, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the BJP through multiple entries, wrongful deletions, and suspicious additions.
(with PTI inputs)
