In a fiery attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the party of “vote theft”, alleging large-scale irregularities in the voters’ list ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Thackeray Slams Election Commission Over Voters’ List
Addressing a massive “Nirdhar Melava” at Worli Dome in Mumbai, Thackeray said democracy was being subverted as “voters are meant to elect governments, but today governments are choosing voters.”
He demanded that a criminal case be registered against the Election Commissioner for allowing bogus names in the electoral rolls, terming it a “corrupt practice.”
“If the Election Commission fails to act, then we must act. Booth workers should not allow bogus voters to cast votes — stop them by any means, beat him up at the booth,” Thackeray told his party workers.
He warned that he would not allow elections to be held until the voters’ list was corrected.
‘Atmanirbhar BJP’ a Hypocrisy, Says Former CM
Continuing his tirade, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister accused the BJP of hypocrisy, saying, “The BJP talks of Atmanirbhar Bharat, but it cannot even become Atmanirbhar BJP. It survives by breaking parties and stealing votes.”
He further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were conspiring to “break Mumbai away from Maharashtra.”
“The BJP has turned into a bogus gang of self-proclaimed patriots,” Thackeray charged.
Amit Shah Compared to an ‘Anaconda’
Without naming Amit Shah directly, Thackeray mocked him with a sarcastic reference to a zoo attraction.
“Coincidentally, today’s newspapers had two headlines — one about the inauguration of the BJP’s new office in Mumbai and another about an anaconda arriving at the Byculla Zoo. The anaconda is a creature that swallows everything. The one who came to Mumbai today for the bhoomipujan wants to swallow the entire city,” Thackeray said, indirectly likening Amit Shah to an anaconda.
“If he tries to swallow Mumbai, we will tear our way out of his stomach,” Thackeray added dramatically, drawing loud applause from the crowd.
Thackeray Hits Back at Dynastic Politics Charge
He also countered Shah’s earlier criticism of dynastic politics, saying, “You talk about family politics even during a foundation stone ceremony. Tell me, did your son become BCCI president because of his own merit? Don’t lecture us on dynasty when you practice it yourselves.”
Aaditya Thackeray Flags ‘19,333 Bogus Voters’ in Worli
During the same event, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray made a detailed presentation titled “Vote Theft is Election Theft,” exposing alleged irregularities in the voters’ list of the Worli Assembly constituency.
Aaditya claimed that as many as 19,333 bogus voters were identified in the constituency. “The Election Commission is working for the BJP. It is our duty to expose this fraud before the people,” he said.
He pointed out five major discrepancies in the 2024 voters’ list:
Duplicate voter names
Names of deceased voters
Incorrect or mismatched voter photographs
Voters without EPIC (photo ID) numbers
Multiple voters registered at a single address
Aaditya urged all party workers to thoroughly inspect electoral rolls in their areas and report similar discrepancies to ensure fair elections.
