Opposition Alleges One Crore Fake Voters in Maharashtra, Plans Joint Rally in Mumbai on November 1

Mumbai, October 20: The Opposition in Maharashtra on Sunday alleged large-scale irregularities in the state’s electoral rolls, claiming that nearly one crore “bogus voters” have been added ahead of the upcoming local body elections. The parties announced plans to hold a joint rally in Mumbai on November 1 to urge the Election Commission to remove the alleged fake entries.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the Opposition to “set a false narrative” before the polls.

Raj Thackeray Raises Alarm Over ‘96 Lakh Fake Voters’

Addressing booth-level agents of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), party chief Raj Thackeray claimed that 96 lakh fake voters have been enrolled across the state. He urged the Election Commission not to conduct the local body polls until the voter lists are verified and cleaned.

“Holding elections with rigged voters’ lists will be the biggest insult to the electorate,” Thackeray said, appealing to his party workers to examine the rolls and identify fake entries.

After his address, senior leaders including Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Bala Nandgaonkar of the MNS, Jayant Patil of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Sachin Sawant of the Congress jointly held a press conference reiterating their concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral lists.

Opposition Seeks Rectification of Voter Rolls

In recent weeks, Opposition parties — including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP), and MNS — have met with the State Election Commissioner and Chief Electoral Officer, claiming that duplicate names appear across multiple constituencies and addresses.

They have demanded an urgent clean-up of the rolls before the rural and urban body elections, which must be completed by January 31, 2026.

The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Saturday clarified that voter list corrections and updates were being carried out securely and that no political party could tamper with the rolls.

“An Attempt to Erase Regional Voices”

Thackeray alleged that the inclusion of fake voters was part of a broader attempt to weaken regional parties. “They did this during the state polls as well. Around 8 to 10 lakh fake voters have been added in Mumbai, and 8 to 8.5 lakh in Thane, Pune, and Nashik. This is happening in every village and city,” he said.

“The match has already been fixed. What kind of democracy is this?” he asked, recalling that the BJP itself had once levelled similar allegations against the Election Commission when it was in opposition.

Marathi Identity and Development Issues

Thackeray also invoked Marathi pride, claiming that India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had opposed the merger of Mumbai with Maharashtra.

He alleged that operations of Mumbai Airport were being shifted to Navi Mumbai International Airport, while cargo handling was being diverted to Vadhavan Port in Palghar district. “The land around these projects will be handed over to the Adani Group. I will not tolerate development built on the tomb of Marathi people,” he said.

BJP Denies Allegations

Responding to Thackeray’s remarks, BJP leader Pravin Darekar accused him of pursuing a political agenda. “The Mahayuti government’s pro-people governance has left the Opposition without real issues. They are resorting to false claims to mislead voters,” Darekar said.

He added that Thackeray was trying to “replicate the same strategy” used by the Opposition during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to question the Election Commission’s credibility.

“If the voter lists contain errors, they should be corrected. But spreading misinformation is unacceptable,” he said.

Joint Opposition Rally Set for November 1

At the joint press briefing, Sanjay Raut demanded that the Election Commission remove around “one crore bogus voters” from Maharashtra’s electoral rolls.

He also referred to remarks allegedly made by BJP MLA Manda Mhatre and Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad acknowledging irregularities in voter registration. “Electoral rolls must be clean. Since the Election Commission refuses to act, we will take to the streets. On November 1, a massive Opposition rally will be held in Mumbai against the EC’s corrupt inaction,” Raut said.

He added that “lakhs of people who have lost their voting rights will take to the streets to show their strength.”

The rally will be led by Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray, with invitations extended to senior Congress leaders. Pawar and the Thackeray cousins are expected to address another press conference in the coming days to announce further plans.

“If the Election Commission throws a challenge, we are ready to face it,” Raut declared.

Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the EC’s response to Opposition complaints was “unsatisfactory,” while Jayant Patil of the NCP (SP) said even ruling party members were welcome to join the movement “to defend democracy.”