Mumbai, Oct 30 (NationPress) Raj Thackeray, the head of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), criticized the Election Commission, the Centre, and the state government on Thursday regarding claims of vote manipulation. He urged citizens to show up in great numbers for the opposition's November 1 morcha in Mumbai, which aims to spotlight issues in the electoral rolls, such as fraudulent, duplicate, and absent voters.

During a gathering with party officials, Thackeray requested a delay of one year for local and civic body elections to rectify the electoral rolls. He also demonstrated how Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be allegedly exploited to tamper with votes.

“Maharashtra has not witnessed local or civic body elections for the past five years. The voters’ list needs to be cleaned up first. Elections should not be held for another year — they should occur only after the rolls are corrected. If we lose after that, we will accept it. But for now, the game is rigged,” Thackeray stated, criticizing the Election Commission for their “unacceptable and illogical” responses.

“The Chief Election Commissioner claims that CCTV footage cannot be disclosed due to privacy issues. While voting may be private, how can the voters’ privacy be guaranteed? The logic of the poll panel doesn’t add up,” he commented.

He asserted that the honest voters of Maharashtra were being “disrespected” by the current situation. “If the results do not represent the actual votes, it is a disgrace to democracy. This must be rectified. Our morcha on November 1 should be enormous — its reverberations must reach Delhi,” he emphasized.

Thackeray reiterated his call for the return of ballot papers, noting that “developed countries still utilize them.” He encouraged MNS activists to go door-to-door to identify duplicate entries and fraudulent voters. “Those with double registrations should be removed. Legal actions are ongoing, but we will tackle this step by step. Maharashtra has always led the way — this time, too, it will spearhead the fight against vote theft,” he stated.

Highlighting the need for Delhi to “understand the issues in Maharashtra,” Thackeray called on every voter to join the march. “If your employer denies you leave, confront him — he is also a voter. Elections must be transparent. Even Prime Minister Modi once indicated that ballot papers are superior — take it to heart,” he urged.

Announcing his plan to travel by suburban train to the morcha venue in south Mumbai, Thackeray cautioned voters to remain vigilant in the forthcoming local elections. “If you don’t pay attention, you’ll be left with nothing,” he joked.

He concluded, “Some claim Raj Thackeray’s rallies attract crowds but not votes. This is due to all these discrepancies — otherwise, the entire nation would be stirred.”

Thackeray also targeted Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, labeling him a “hypocrite” for taking the role of chief minister after prior statements.