96 lakh fake voters in Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) backs Raj Thackeray's claim

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has raised serious concerns over the integrity of voter lists ahead of the state’s local body elections, claiming that 96 lakh (9.6 million) fake voters have been added. He urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) not to conduct elections in Maharashtra until the issue is addressed.

Addressing party workers on 19 October, Sunday, Thackeray described the alleged addition of bogus voters as “an insult to the voters of Maharashtra and the country”. He called on group presidents, branch presidents and election list heads to go door to door to verify the voter lists.

Backing Thackeray’s claims, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut announced that opposition parties will hold a protest march against the alleged irregularities on 1 November.

“We have never said that we will not contest the BMC election. We only said that first, the voter list should be corrected,” Raut said, highlighting the figure of 9.6 million bogus voters cited by Thackeray.

Raut further confirmed plans for a meeting with election officials, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with Raj Thackeray and NCP-SCP leader Sharad Pawar, to discuss discrepancies in the voter list.

Fadnavis has done what Bal Thackeray could not, says Raj Thackeray

He accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of engaging in “match-fixing” during elections, emphasising the need for a thorough investigation.

In response, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde expressed confidence in the upcoming local body elections, stating that Shiv Sena and its Mahayuti alliance are fully prepared. “We work 24/7. Mahayuti will win the local body elections with a big margin,” Shinde told reporters.

This is not the first time concerns over voter list manipulation have been raised. Earlier this year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Maharashtra assembly election held in November 2024 was “rigged”, claiming that the number of new voters added in the five months ahead of the polls exceeded the total added in the previous five years.

Maharashtra: Mysterious voter surge exceeds population, says Rahul Gandhi

The opposition’s mounting criticism reflects growing tensions over the credibility of the electoral process in Maharashtra, as parties prepare for crucial local body elections in the coming weeks.