Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has raised serious concerns over the integrity of voter lists ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Zilla Parishad elections in the state. Speaking at a gathering of MNS's voter list coordinators for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, held at Nesco Centre, Goregaon on Sunday, Thackeray claimed that approximately 96 lakh fake voters have been added to the electoral rolls in cities like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.
He warned that no local body elections should be conducted until the voter lists are cleaned and verified by all political parties. "Unless the lists are transparent and acceptable to everyone, elections cannot be fair," he asserted.
Thackeray criticised both the central and state governments, also taking a dig at prominent industrialists like Adani and Ambani. Using his now-signature phrase, "Laav re to video", he showcased clips to highlight his arguments and questioned why those in power react strongly when the Election Commission is held accountable for discrepancies in voter data.
He alleged that the ruling parties are uneasy because their pre-planned strategies are being exposed. Interestingly, he also pointed out that even some ruling party MLAs have admitted to irregularities, with reports of 20,000 fake voters being brought in from outside in certain constituencies.
Despite winning 232 seats in the last Assembly elections, Thackeray noted that the ruling parties failed to generate real public enthusiasm, suggesting that this was due to the lack of genuine support on the ground.
“I am not against progress,” he said, “but if development in Mumbai and Maharashtra is built on the grave of the Marathi people, we will not accept it.”
Thackeray further alleged that many infrastructure projects, like roads and the Atal Setu, are not necessarily for the public, but are designed to benefit industrialists who have already acquired land in these areas. "Unfortunately, our own Marathi people are helping them," he said.
He warned that if the ruling alliance also gains control of local bodies like municipal corporations and Zilla Parishads along with state and central power, it would leave the field open for unchecked dominance. He accused the government of laying a well-planned strategy to secure these elections.
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