Sanjay Raut Backs Raj Thackeray's Claims of Voter Fraud in Maharashtra

Support for Allegations of Fake Voters

On Monday, Sanjay Raut, a member of the Shiv Sena (UBT), expressed his support for Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who recently claimed that 9.6 million fraudulent voters have been added to the electoral rolls.

During a press conference held in Mumbai, Raut clarified the party's stance, stating that they have never claimed they would not contest the BMC elections. Instead, they emphasized the need to rectify the voter list first. According to Thackeray, the list contains 9.6 million fake voters. Raut also announced a protest, stating that on November 1, all opposition parties will participate in a long march against the fraudulent voters listed.

Meeting with Election Officials Planned

Additionally, Raut revealed plans for a meeting on Sunday with election officials, led by party chief Uddhav Thackeray, to address concerns regarding discrepancies in the voter list.

He mentioned that Thackeray, along with Raj Thackeray of MNS and Sharad Pawar of the NCP-SCP, will meet with officials to discuss these inconsistencies. Raut told reporters that leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, Congress, and NCP-SCP will bring the issue of discrepancies in the voter list to the attention of the authorities, accusing them of engaging in 'match-fixing' before elections.

Allegations of Electoral Irregularities

Raut alleged that electoral irregularities and 'match-fixing' occur during elections, stressing the need for a thorough investigation. He accused the BJP of engaging in 'match-fixing' and announced a massive march against the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Mumbai on November 1, which will include Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, and other opposition leaders.

He stated, 'We must take to the streets... On November 1, all parties will hold a massive march in Mumbai against the Election Commission... and show the Maharashtra Election Commission... MVA and opposition leaders - Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, and all other leaders - will participate in this march.'

Opposition's March Against Vote Theft Allegations

Raut also mentioned that opposition parties, led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, are fighting against the ECI over allegations of 'vote theft.' He added that today they are presenting their case on behalf of all parties, noting that nearly all members of MNS were present, which he found encouraging. This press conference was called to urgently discuss the issue of electoral fraud, which they are also addressing in Delhi under Rahul Gandhi's leadership and is now gaining traction in Maharashtra as well. Earlier this year, Rahul Gandhi alleged that there would be 'rigging' in the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 2024, claiming that similar issues would arise in the Bihar Assembly elections.