States » WestPosted at: Oct 4 2026 2:30PM


Raj Thackeray demands cancellation of SIR, return to ballot paper voting

Mumbai, Oct 4 (UNI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, on Sunday, demanded cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra and called for a return to ballot paper-based voting, saying elections must be conducted through a process that inspires public confidence.
Addressing a public meeting after the 'Garjana' march organised against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Thackeray said his two demands were clear "cancellation of the SIR exercise in Maharashtra" and "holding future elections using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs)".
''Voters are increased during Assembly elections to gain power and then two crore voters are removed through SIR. Who are these people?" Thackeray questioned.
He said the SIR process should be cancelled under any circumstances and elections should be held using ballot papers so that "doodh ka doodh and paani ka paani" could be established.
The MNS chief also appealed to all political parties to raise this issue with the Centre in Delhi, irrespective of which party comes to power in the future. "It does not matter who comes to power tomorrow, but power must come through the right means, he said.
Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray led a large protest march in Mumbai against the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
The march, which was supported by Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and other opposition parties, proceeded from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.
Speaking at the gathering, Raj Thackeray claimed that the issue of alleged manipulation of electoral rolls had been troubling the country for years.
He further said he had been raising concerns about "vote theft" since 2017 and had also met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee to discuss the issue.
"I have been saying continuously that votes are being stolen," Thackeray said, adding that he had at one stage even advocated a boycott of elections over the issue.
Referring to the 2024 elections, Thackeray questioned the scale of the victory claimed by the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
He alleged that the number of voters had increased substantially and claimed that 40 to 60 lakh voters were added during the period, while the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together saw an increase of around one crore votes.
''There was no celebration or enthusiasm among people after the 2024 victory in Maharashtra. There was complete silence. Then what kind of victory was this?" he asked.
Thackeray also launched a broader attack on the functioning of the government, alleging that forests, projects and ports were being handed over to the same industrialist and accusing the government of arbitrary functioning.
He further alleged that key institutions, including the Supreme Court, High Courts and the Election Commission, were being brought under control. We are changing the structure of this country. This march is against all of this, he said.
Criticising the government's economic policies, Thackeray alleged that the country was being pushed towards economic instability and accused the ruling establishment of showing little concern over issues such as fuel prices and the country's economic position.
The 'Garjana' march witnessed participation from supporters of the Thackeray factions as well as workers and leaders from several opposition parties, turning the protest into a major show of opposition unity in Mumbai.
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