Thackeray Cousins Raise ‘Vote Chori’ Alarm Ahead of Maharashtra Municipal Polls
PakkaHyderabadi 
Thackeray cousins and opposition leaders accuse ruling parties of ‘vote chori’ before Maharashtra civic elections.
As the municipal polls approach in Maharashtra, allegations of voter fraud and manipulation in the electoral rolls are taking center stage. Both Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), have raised concerns about “vote chori” (vote theft), aligning with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claims of irregularities in polling and voter enumeration. Uddhav, addressing party workers in Dahisar, urged them to scrutinize voter lists to prevent bogus voters from influencing election outcomes.
Uddhav Thackeray pointed to an unexpected rise of 40-42 lakh voters in Maharashtra’s rolls, raising suspicions of inflated figures and duplicate voting. He warned party members to ensure that the electoral rolls were accurate and not manipulated to favor the governing parties. “If elections are conducted in a genuine manner, it will not be possible for the governing parties to win,” Uddhav asserted, casting doubt on the fairness of the upcoming polls.
Sena UBT’s Sanjay Raut echoed these sentiments, directly accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of coming to power through vote theft, likening the process to how military regimes take control in Pakistan. Raut argued that these alleged irregularities undermine the integrity of Indian democracy and stressed the importance of cleaning up the voter rolls ahead of the municipal elections.
On Saturday, Raj Thackeray reiterated his longstanding claim of widespread voter fraud, revealing that he had discussed the issue with opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar (NCP SP) and Mamata Banerjee (TMC). Raj even suggested that opposition parties should boycott Lok Sabha polls until the problem is resolved, stating, “Our votes are not coming to us. They are being stolen. Those in office have stolen votes.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to the allegations by questioning why the public had lost faith in the Thackerays and their allies. He argued that until they acknowledged the real reasons for their waning support, their criticisms would remain ineffective. The debate has added a new layer of intensity to the political atmosphere in Maharashtra ahead of crucial municipal polls.
