Mumbai: The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has announced a massive protest march to the Election Commission office in Mumbai on November 1, alleging large-scale irregularities and bogus entries in the state’s voter list. The announcement was made on Sunday by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, along with senior leaders Jayant Patil of the NCP (Sharad Pawar group), Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant, and CPI(M) leader Prakash Reddy, during a press conference held at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai.
Raut Calls It a Fight Against ‘Match-Fixing’
Raut said that despite meeting Election Commission officials for two consecutive days, no satisfactory response was received regarding complaints of voter list discrepancies.
“This is not just a protest it is a fight against what we call ‘match-fixing’ by the Election Commission,” Raut declared.
He further alleged that there are nearly one crore bogus voters in Maharashtra and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take corrective action.
“Even ruling party MLAs have admitted irregularities in the voter list. November 1 will be a decisive day for Maharashtra and a significant moment for democracy,” he added, stating that the march would be led by Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and senior Congress leaders.
NCP and MNS Leaders Slam EC’s Inaction
NCP leader Jayant Patil criticised the Election Commission for its continued silence on the issue.
“The Commission must clarify what steps it is taking to remove duplicate and fake voters. Many addresses are incorrect, yet no action has been taken. The people of Maharashtra who believe in democracy should join this protest,” Patil said.
MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar also highlighted widespread mistrust among citizens over voter list discrepancies.
“Even legislators have spoken about these issues. After we submitted a complaint, the Election Commission instructed district collectors to inquire which confirms that discrepancies exist. However, the responses we’re getting are vague and unsatisfactory,” he stated, confirming his party’s participation in the march.
Protest Echoes National Concerns
The November 1 protest is expected to see participation from multiple opposition parties, following a similar march in Delhi earlier this month led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
