Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Days after they met Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and State Election Commissioner (SEC), the opposition parties are planning a grand morcha in Mumbai on November 1 to highlight the issue of alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and bogus voters in the run up to the local bodies elections in the State.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi partners - Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP) and their smaller allies Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Peasants and Workers Party of India will be part of the morcha besides Raj Thackeray-led MNS.
The decision was taken on Sunday after opposition parties’ leaders which included Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP) former state President and ex minister Jayant Patil, MNS leader and former minister Bala Nandgaonkar, Congress’ senior spokesperson Sachin Sawant, CPI leader Prakash Reddy and CPI (M) state secretary Dr Ajit Nawale held discussions.
Last week, opposition delegations met CEO S Chockalingam and SEC Dinesh Waghmare separately and collectively and pointed out irregularities in the voter list.
The Opposition has called for "rectification" in the electoral rolls and removal of "anomalies" ahead of the rural and urban body elections, which are to be completed by January 31, 2026.
Raut said that while it has been decided to hold a morcha on November 1, the opposition parties’ leaders will meet again this week and decide on the route and other details.
It may be mentioned, the Supreme Court has set January 31, 2026, as the deadline to complete the local bodies elections.