Aaditya Thackeray backs Rahul’s Haryana poll allegations

Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday supported Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter fraud through which the Election Commission allegedly helped the BJP win the Haryana assembly elections.

“Once again, Rahul Gandhi has exposed the Election Commission’s fraud that helps the BJP capture states via vote theft. The world is watching how our elections are no longer free and fair anymore, with proof,” he said in a post on X.

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Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that the issue raised by Rahul Gandhi is not about party politics but the “value of every Indian’s vote”. “Every citizen, irrespective of political ideology, should watch Rahul Gandhi’s presentation. This is about the value of your vote, which turns to zero because the Election Commission allows one political party to ensure fraudulent or fake voters are in the list,” he alleged.

Aaditya Thackeray stated that the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena earlier raised the issue of “voter list manipulation” in Maharashtra earlier. “Just a few days ago, we exposed voter fraud in Worli and other assembly constituencies of Maharashtra. We held huge protests, but the Election Commission refused to act,” Aaditya Thackeray, who represents the Worli assembly constituency in Mumbai stated, adding that, “This fight is for free and fair elections across India — for democracy and our Constitution”.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former minister Nitin Raut filed a complaint against BJP leader and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar at the Jaripatka police station in Nagpur on Wednesday and also filed a complaint against Shelar with the Maharashtra State Election Commission seeking action against him for making communal remarks during a press conference on November 2, 2025, about Muslim voters in North Nagpur.

In his complaint, Raut stated that BJP leader and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar made a statement claiming there were “8,342 fake voters among Muslims in North Nagpur.” Raut stated in his complaint that this remark by Shelar targets a religious community, fosters division in society, and appears to be aimed at causing communal polarisation of voters before elections to the local civic body elections in Maharashtra.

“The task of voter registration and verification falls under the jurisdiction of the Maharashtra State Election Commission alone and therefore, the statement made by BJP leader and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar raises questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission and is an attempt to undermine public confidence in the electoral process,” Congress leader Nitin Raut’s complaint to the Maharashtra State Election Commission stated.

Congress leader Nitin Raut noted that under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, seeking votes based on religion, caste, community or language, or spreading religious hatred among voters, is considered an electoral offence. Therefore, Shelar’s statement constitutes a direct violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the law, Congress leader Nitin Raut stated.

Raut also demanded that an immediate investigation be conducted against Ashish Shelar and legal action must be taken against him. A copy of the complaint has also been sent to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Home Department and the Director General of Police.

Earlier on Monday, BJP leader and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar alleged that Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray were engaging in appeasement politics and that they had pointed out instances of only Hindu duplicate voters. Shelar had questioned why the Thackeray cousins had stopped short of naming voters from other communities.

Shelar said that in the voters’ list used in the state to conduct the Lok Sabha elections, there were as many as 2,25,716 duplicate Muslim voters in 31 assembly constituencies. Shelar claimed that there are more than 16 lakh such duplicate voters in all 288 constituencies.

“Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray only see Hindu-Marathi double voters? Why do they turn a blind eye to Muslim double voters?” Shelar had said, adding that he will take the matter to the Election Commission.