Mumbai, Nov 1 (NationPress) - Uddhav Thackeray, the Chief of Shiv Sena-UBT, officially declared his party's alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, emphasizing their joint effort to safeguard the interests of voters, the Marathi Manoos, the Hindus, and Maharashtra.

This announcement was made during his address at a morcha organized by opposition parties in Mumbai to draw attention to inaccuracies in the electoral rolls, such as duplicate and fraudulent voters, and to protest against electoral fraud.

"Both Raj and I have united for the voters. For the Marathi Manoos, the Hindus, and for Maharashtra. We urge your support as we move ahead. Raise both hands in solidarity and send this image to the king of vote-stealers. If you engage in vote theft, this fist will strike back," warned the Shiv Sena-UBT Chief.

He also stated that the opposition plans to approach the court soon, demanding that local and civic body elections occur only after rectifying the discrepancies in the electoral rolls.

"If you spot a thief, confront him immediately through democratic means. We do not wish to take the law into our own hands. The 'anaconda' (referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah) is lurking. I've made a prior appeal. As elections near, their oppression will intensify. We are pursuing legal avenues. We will present our case in court shortly. We seek justice now. With ample evidence regarding the errors, I am confident we will receive justice there. If not, the people's court is ready to decide," he asserted.

"Why do I refer to them as anaconda? I am not jesting. They (BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) remain insatiable, having taken our party, symbol, and name, and now attempt to steal my father's legacy. Now, they aim to steal votes," he alleged.

Thackeray mentioned that someone had submitted an online verification request using his name for the voter list, which was done on October 23 through the Saksham app.

"I have lodged a complaint regarding this. Who is responsible? This indicates an attempt to generate an OTP from a fraudulent number in my name. There seems to be a concerted effort to remove the names of all four members of my family, including myself, from the voter list. This requires investigation, as it suggests a conspiracy," he claimed.

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray presented evidence of duplicate voters and urged his party members to confront and remove any duplicate voters from polling booths during the upcoming elections.

"During elections, you must scrutinize the voters' lists. Recognize the faces of voters. If duplicate voters appear, confront them, remove them from polling booths, and hand them to the police," he instructed.

"Concerns about duplicate voters have arisen. Both the BJP and the NCP have acknowledged this. So, why the haste to conduct elections? Local and civic body elections should only proceed after rectifying electoral rolls, specifically eradicating errors," the MNS Chief added.

NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar remarked that the opposition parties have united to uphold the rights granted by the Constitution in a democratic framework.

"The elections were conducted, and the aftermath, particularly in the Assembly elections, has shaken public confidence in parliamentary democracy. Currently, people are restless in many regions. Power is being misused continuously. Political differences may exist, but we must set aside all disputes and unite. We must protect democratic rights and move forward with this perspective," he stated.

Pawar mentioned complaints from some voters regarding fake Aadhaar cards.

The district collectors requested complainants to provide proof, he noted.

"However, cases were filed against those making complaints. This indicates government support for such actions. Our ideologies may differ, but to preserve the parliamentary democracy of our country and the right to vote, we must unite. The leaders here today have gathered with this sentiment," he emphasized.

Veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat stated the opposition's demand is to rectify the errors in the electoral rolls before proceeding with local and civic body elections in the state.

"Voter lists for local and civic body elections have been published. Bogus individuals remain registered in these lists. Local body elections are being conducted while those names persist. Our demand is for the voter lists to be corrected," he concluded.