Raj Thackeray Takes Aim at Election Commission
MNS chief Raj Thackeray didn’t hold back on Sunday as he openly challenged the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct local body elections only after cleaning up the voter lists. Speaking at a party gathering at NESCO Grounds in Goregaon, Thackeray claimed that nearly 9.6 million bogus voters had been added to Maharashtra’s rolls — calling it a “clear manipulation” of the democratic process.
“If elections are being held like this, why are we even wasting money, time, and energy? This is nothing less than match-fixing,” Thackeray said to loud cheers from MNS workers.
He added that the voters list had been frozen on July 1, yet millions of new names appeared on it afterward — particularly in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik, where nearly 8 lakh to 8.5 lakh voters were newly registered.
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“Game to Finish Regional Parties”
According to Thackeray, the inflated voter lists are part of a larger plan to sideline smaller, regional outfits like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. “This is how they want to end the existence of regional parties,” he said. “When the ruling front got 232 seats in the assembly elections, everyone was shocked — now we know why.”
The MNS leader also recalled that he had been warning about flawed electoral rolls since 2016–17, but his concerns were ignored. “Now, everyone has realised how elections are being fixed behind the scenes,” he said.
Targets Ruling Alliance, Cites Adani-Ambani
Thackeray went a step further, alleging that the ruling alliance wants to capture every local seat to “hand Mumbai over to Adani and Ambani.”
“I’m not against development,” he clarified, “but not when it comes at the cost of the Marathi manoos. Our own people are helping outsiders grab our land.”
He accused Gujarati industrialists of wanting “everything they see,” while claiming Marathi politicians are helping them for personal gain
Plays Modi’s Old Clip, Questions EC’s Neutrality
In a striking move, Raj Thackeray played an old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where Modi himself had criticised the Election Commission. “Am I saying anything different from this?” Thackeray asked. “The EC is not a slave of any ruling party — or at least, it shouldn’t be.”
He also referred to Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Bhumre, who allegedly said he had “brought in 20,000 voters from outside” before being warned by Eknath Shinde.
EC, BJP Dismiss Claims
When contacted, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare refused to comment on the allegations. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban hit back, saying Thackeray’s statements “sound like excuses from someone losing relevance.”
“He hasn’t provided a single proof of 9.6 million new voters. The EC is a transparent and independent body,” Ban said.
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The Bigger Picture
Raj Thackeray’s remarks come as Maharashtra gears up for local self-government elections across major cities. His sharp attack on the EC — and the ruling alliance — suggests MNS is preparing for a high-voltage campaign built around voter transparency, Marathi identity, and anti-establishment sentiment.
