Raj Thackeray, founder of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), made a serious allegation against the Election Commission, stating that 96 lakh fake voters were included in Maharashtra's electoral rolls, which were also used in the 2024 assembly elections. Addressing booth-level workers in Goregaon, Mumbai, Thackeray demanded the postponement of the local body elections until approval is obtained from all political parties. Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, he said, 'BJP won the elections through voter manipulation, but now the public will not remain silent.'
Details of the Allegations:
Thackeray claimed that 8-10 lakh fake voters were added in Mumbai, and 8-8.5 lakh each in Thane, Pune, and Nashik, which is the secret behind the Maha Yuti alliance's victory of 232 seats. He said: "Voter manipulation determines results by ignoring public participation." Thackeray showed an old video of Modi where he had accused the Election Commission of bias, stating that 'BJP itself is now using the same commission.' These allegations have surfaced amidst preparations for local body elections, where concerns over transparency are rising. The Election Commission has not responded so far.
Political Context:
The MNS chief accused the Maha Yuti alliance (BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP) of weakening regional parties. He pointed out discrepancies in EVMs and voter lists since 2016-17. Rejecting the allegations, the BJP said: "This is just an excuse for defeat." Experts state that this controversy could impact the 2027 local body elections, where scrutiny of voter lists will be key.
"Manipulation in voter lists is an insult to democracy, demanding transparent elections is the right of the public." — Raj Thackeray
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References:
The Hindu, India Today, Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, X Post
