Electoral Battle Intensifies: Allegations of Fake Voters Stir Political Storm in Maharashtra

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya disputes claims by Raj Thackeray of 9.6 million fake voters in Mumbai's voter rolls ahead of civic polls. Uddhav Thackeray and allies support protest march against alleged discrepancies, urging Election Commission to delay elections until the list is rectified.

The political scene in Maharashtra has escalated with heated allegations from Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), accusing the Election Commission of adding 9.6 million fake voters to the rolls ahead of the Mumbai municipal elections. Responding to these accusations, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya argued that political desperation is driving these claims, as power seems to be drifting away from the Thackeray camp's grip on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Somaiya pointed out, in his conversation with news agency ANI, that the same voter list in question was utilized during previous successful Lok Sabha and assembly elections. According to him, the list has not seen a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) since 2001, and it's compiled not by the central Election Commission but by local authorities. He retorted that the emerging concerns over voter integrity are merely political strategies as Thackeray senses diminishing control over the civic body.

The controversy has caught wider attention, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut backing Raj Thackeray's allegations. Raut voiced calls for transparency and accuracy in the voter lists before proceeding with elections, organizing a collaborative protest march scheduled for November 1. This unified opposition front seeks to compel a revision of voter lists, emphasizing the need for a thorough clean-up before the polls can legitimately be conducted.