Mumbai: Opposition parties unite for 1 Nov ‘truth rally’ over voter list anomalies

Maharashtra’s Opposition parties — led by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and supported by the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP-SP (Sharadchandra Pawar) — are set to hold a massive rally in Mumbai on 1 November to protest alleged irregularities in the state’s voter lists.

The demonstration, titled ‘Satyacha Morcha’ (Rally for Truth), seeks to highlight what the Opposition claims is the inclusion of nearly 96 lakh fake voters across Maharashtra by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Earlier this week, the MNS released a teaser video for the rally, featuring party chief Raj Thackeray asserting that “no election will be held in Maharashtra until the voters’ list is cleaned”.

The video, which quickly gained traction on social media, set the tone for the upcoming protest by calling upon citizens to remain alert and united in safeguarding electoral integrity.

According to organisers, the rally will begin around 1 p.m. from Fashion Street and conclude by 4 p.m. at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters near CST. Discussions on the final route have also included the stretch between Metro Cinema and Fashion Street.

Senior Opposition leaders, including Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Sanjay Raut, are expected to participate in the march, which is being viewed as a rare show of unity among Maharashtra’s Opposition ranks.

The MNS has accused the ECI of permitting large-scale manipulation in the electoral rolls to influence the outcome of upcoming local body elections. Thackeray has alleged that 96 lakh bogus voters have been added across the state, including 8–10 lakh each in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, and has directed MNS shakha pramukhs to carry out ward-wise scrutiny of voter lists and submit detailed reports of anomalies.

In the run-up to the protest, Thackeray will deliver a detailed presentation at the Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra, on Thursday, 30 October, showcasing data, videos, and findings that the MNS claims expose “massive anomalies” in the electoral rolls. The session will also outline strategies to prevent fake voting in the forthcoming municipal elections.

“This is not about numbers; it’s about democracy itself,” Thackeray said during the announcement of the rally.

The 1 November ‘Satyacha Morcha’ follows a series of joint meetings between Opposition leaders and senior election officials, including state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare and chief electoral officer S. Chockalingam.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the Opposition was left with “no choice but to take to the streets” as the ECI had failed to address repeated complaints regarding voter list discrepancies.

The issue has gained momentum after Aaditya Thackeray recently flagged irregularities in the Worli voters list, with Congress and NCP representatives echoing similar concerns from across districts. Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey alleged that in several areas, “one household has over 50 registered voters”, while former MLA Subhash Dhote said fake registrations were carried out with the “intent of vote theft”.

While permissions for the rally are still being processed by Mumbai Police, security and route discussions are underway. Opposition leaders have indicated that they plan to go ahead with the protest regardless, describing it as a united stand to “protect the sanctity of the electoral process”.

The ‘Satyacha Morcha’ is expected to mark one of the largest Opposition mobilisations in recent months, underscoring a growing push for electoral transparency and accountability in Maharashtra.