All opposition parties comprising the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) defied the police, which did not permit the protest rally against manipulated voters’ lists, by marching on Saturday from Fashion Street to the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) near Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus.
All senior political leaders, including Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress, NCP founder Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil of the Peasants & Workers’ Party, CPI leader Prakash Reddy and CPM leaders marched amidst heavy police presence all along the route of the rally, as they shouted slogans against voters’ list irregularities, vote theft, multiple entries and wrongful deletions from voters’ lists.
Congress leaders like Naseem Khan, Satej Patil, and Bhai Jagtap, NCP founder Sharad Pawar’s daughter, and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule also marched along with thousands of party workers as opposition leaders accused the Election Commission of India of turning a blind eye to and shouted slogans that local civic body polls in Maharashtra must be held only after irregularities are rectified.
MNS founder Raj Thackeray, who travelled by local train from Dadar to Churchgate, was the first politician to speak from a temporary podium constructed near the BMC headquarters.
“Today’s march is a march to show strength and unity. It is a march to ensure that our voice reaches Delhi. I thank everyone for turning up in such large numbers. Everyone is saying that there are duplicate and fake voters. BJP people also say the same thing. Shiv Sena people say the same thing. Even Ajit Pawar’s people say there are duplicate voters. So why the rush to hold elections? Clean up the voter lists first. Currently, everything is being done in secret. There are 4500 voters from Kalyan Rural, Dombivli, Murbad and Bhiwandi, but they also voted in the Malabar Hill constituency,” Raj Thackeray said.
“As of July 1, 2025, there are 62,370 duplicate voters out of 1,739,456 in North Mumbai. One MLA openly said that 20,000 voters were brought from outside. Voters were registered showing addresses at the commissioner’s bungalow in Navi Mumbai and even at public toilets. Is this called an election? Will democracy survive if elections are held in this manner? All this is being done through the Election Commission. Isn’t this an insult to voters? What is the value of your votes? If you find fake or duplicate voters, thrash them then and there, after which you must hand them over to the police,” said Raj Thackeray.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, “Raj (Thackeray) and I are both brothers. We have come together. We are here for you, for the Marathi people, for Hindus and for Maharashtra. I request you to support us. If you support us, raise your fists. Let those in Delhi see your fists. If anybody steals your votes, then your fists will smash their heads. As far as my memory goes, this is the first time that all political parties have united after the joint agitation of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement of the 1950s to create the state of Maharashtra”.
“After seeing your spirit here, I think the vote thieves will realise that the spark which has been lit here today can turn into a fire. We are all fighting against vote theft together, but now voters should also wake up to keep democracy alive. Voters must thrash vote thieves wherever they are found. We will go to court with all the evidence of bogus and duplicate voters. We expect justice from the court,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
“We are ready to defeat them through democratic means, but now the people should also come together to keep democracy alive, but democracy is being murdered before our eyes. Therefore, whatever is happening should be stopped. Today, despite all overwhelming evidence, the Election Commission is not taking any action. Our party itself was stolen. Our party’s name and election symbol were also stolen. As if that wasn’t enough, now voters are also being stolen,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
NCP founder Sharad Pawar said that after the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election, parliamentary democracy is in a crisis. “We have to unite for democracy. Let us stop the vote rigging that is currently going on. Today’s march reminds me of old history when similar marches were organised demanding the creation of the state of Maharashtra in the 1950s. That agitation began at Kala Ghoda, which is not far from this venue. The unity you showed today was seen at that time as well. We are fighting for our rights given by the Constitution. We have to forget our political differences and come together to preserve democracy and our right to vote,” Sharad Pawar said.
“Fake Aadhaar cards are being made. But a case has now been registered against the person who proved this allegation. Cases are registered against those who provide evidence. Today, many parties have participated in this rally, though their ideologies are different. We have to be united for democracy. Let us stop the vote theft that is going on,” Sharad Pawar said.