Mon Nov 03 12:11:27 UTC 2025: Headline: Thackeray Demands Clean Voter Rolls Before Maharashtra Local Body Polls

Mumbai, November 3, 2025 – Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has called for a complete overhaul of the electoral rolls in Maharashtra before local body elections are held. In a press conference today, Thackeray asserted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) must rectify errors like duplicate entries and bogus names, addressing concerns raised by the opposition regarding voter list irregularities.

Thackeray refuted allegations of “appeasement politics” leveled by the ruling BJP, stating that neither his party nor any other opposition group has identified fraudulent voters based on religion. Instead, he claims the ECI and the Union government are attempting to disenfranchise Gen Z voters by setting a July 1st cut-off date for voter eligibility, excluding those turning 18 afterward.

Thackeray urged citizens to visit local Shiv Sena (UBT) offices (“shakhas”) to verify their registration status and report any discrepancies. He also criticized BJP leader Ashish Shelar, suggesting Shelar’s comments inadvertently highlighted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s inaction on the issue.

Minister Shelar had previously accused Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray of stoking division by focusing on multiple entries of Hindu voters, questioning their silence on voters from other communities.

Thackeray further raised concerns about the Election Commission’s Saksham app, alleging potential for misuse and wrongful deletion of valid voters’ names. He announced that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties will be approaching the court to demand rectification of the voter list before the polls.

This comes after a protest march on November 1st by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance (Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP)) and the MNS, highlighting alleged voter list irregularities. The Supreme Court has mandated that local body polls in Maharashtra must be completed by January 31, 2026.

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