Maharashtra Opposition Parties Unite for 'Virat Morcha' Protest Against Election Commission Over Voter List Irregularities

The 'Virat Morcha' protest has been scheduled for November 1 by Maharashtra's Opposition parties.

Maharashtra's Opposition has declared a large-scale demonstration against the Election Commission of India, citing alleged voter list discrepancies and electoral process opacity.

The decision to organize the 'Virat Morcha' follows multiple discussions between Maha Vikas Aghadi representatives, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Election Commission officials. Unsatisfied with the Commission's responses, the Opposition has resolved to demonstrate publicly.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut announced, "A Virat Morcha will take place in Mumbai on November 1, a Saturday, under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, and senior Congress leaders."

He further stated, "Thousands of voters from throughout the state who have been denied their voting rights will join this protest march."

In earlier meetings, the Opposition highlighted concerns regarding voters' list inconsistencies, name and address irregularities, and verification process transparency issues. The delegation provided detailed documentation to the Election Commission, requesting clarification.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jayant Patil emphasized, "Democracy requires transparency. We believe the Election Commission is concealing vital information. Anyone committed to preserving democracy should participate in this Morcha."

Senior leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), Congress, MNS, and CPI attended the joint press conference announcing the demonstration.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar, who returned to the Shiv Sena Bhavan headquarters after 24 years to attend the press conference, remarked, "The EC has issued directives to district magistrates, acknowledging the deficiencies. MNS will encourage all Maharashtrians to support this protest. We've united because we aim to protect democracy."

Raut also referenced MNS chief Raj Thackeray's recent claim about nearly 96 lakh fraudulent voters added across Maharashtra. "As Raj Thackeray mentioned, the state has almost one crore fake voters. I consider them infiltrators. Just yesterday, Home Minister Amit Shah pledged to identify and remove infiltrators from voter rolls. We hope he follows through," he stated.