All Maharashtra opposition parties including Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents like the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP are set to hold a massive rally in Mumbai on Saturday, November 1 to protest against alleged inclusion of bogus voters and other irregularities in voters’ lists, according to MVA sources.
Senior opposition leaders including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP founder Sharad Pawar as well as senior political leaders from left parties will participate in the march on Saturday, in a show of unity among Maharashtra’s opposition parties, sources said.
The protest rally called ‘Satyacha Morcha’ (Rally for Truth), will highlight the alleged inclusion of nearly 96 lakh fake voters across Maharashtra State Election Commission. According to organisers, the protest rally will begin around 1 pm from Fashion Street and conclude by 4 pm in front of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj railway station.
“We will organise a march on Saturday, November 1, so that the truth is known to the people. The march will start from Fashion Street at 1 pm and will wind its way in front of Metro Cinema before it concludes at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj railway station. NCP founder Sharad Pawar will be present at the march. We will speak about the demands we had made to the Maharashtra State Election Commission at the November 1 march,” Shiv Sena (UT) MLA Anil Parab said.
Earlier, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had stated that “No election will be held in Maharashtra until the voters’ list is cleaned up,” accusing the Maharashtra State Election Commission of permitting large scale manipulation of voters’ lists to influence the outcome of forthcoming local civic body elections in Maharashtra. He alleged that 96 lakh bogus voters have been added across Maharashtra, including around 10 lakh each in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik.
Speaking to MNS party workers earlier, Raj Thackeray claimed that vote rigging happens through programming of EVMs and not hacking. “I have been shouting about vote theft for several years. Even after huge crowds attended our public meetings, it never translated into votes for our party. This is because people voted for us, but due to the irregularities which began in the last 12 years years, we faced defeat after defeat. Many people may think that I am making excuses. But when the entire country is talking about election malpractices today, then there is nothing else left for me to say,” Raj Thackeray said.
“We wish to come to power through a proper election process. But it has been five years since local body elections were held in Maharashtra. So, it may take another year, but don’t hold elections without correcting the voter lists. Even postponing local civic body elections for a year will not make any difference. When voters’ lists are corrected, we will accept any party’s victory or defeat. Even if today’s ruling party wins the elections after correcting voters’ lists, we will accept it,” Raj Thackeray said.
Targeting the Maharashtra State Election Commission, Raj Thackeray said, “When match fixing took place in cricket, everybody involved including Azharuddin to Jadeja got sacked. But here, nobody got sacked after vote fixing. The Chief Election Commissioner said that CCTV footage at polling stations is private. But how is privacy involved in this? They give answers which make no sense at all. After coming to power, the ruling parties have gone completely crazy. Yet, there is a limit to sacrificing self-respect,” Raj Thackeray said.
He said that real and honest voters of Maharashtra are being “insulted” by the present government. “If results don’t reflect real votes, then it is an insult to democracy. All this must be corrected. Our rally on November 1 must be massive so that its voice reaches New Delhi. Delhi must get to know what is burning in Maharashtra. Every real voter must join the march. If your boss refuses to give you leave to attend the march on November 1, simply slap him, because he is also a voter. Elections must be transparent. Even Prime Minister Modi once said ballot papers are better,” Raj Thackeray said.
Raj Thackeray demanded that ballot papers must be reintroduced, pointing out that even highly “developed nations still use them”. He urged MNS workers to go door to door to identify duplicate entries and bogus voters. “Those who have their names registered twice should be deleted from the voters’ list. Maharashtra has always taken the first step and this time as well, it will lead the fight against vote theft,” he said.