29 September,2026 01:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/Atul Kamble
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday announced that his party and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will jointly hold a march against the Election Commission in Mumbai on October 4.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference in Mumbai attended by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, MNS leader Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Raj Thackeray said the two parties would invite other political parties to participate in the march.
"We will invite all parties for the morcha. The ruling parties are also welcome," Raj Thackeray said.
The proposed demonstration comes amid criticism from several Opposition parties over the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The controversy has also involved questions over internal objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The proposed demonstration comes amid criticism from several Opposition parties over the Election Commission's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The controversy has also involved questions over internal objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Several Opposition parties have criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise and have demanded his resignation.
The criticism intensified after a report by The Indian Express said Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period to decisions and orders concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and related systems. The report said some of the objections questioned whether certain measures had been authorised.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected suggestions that there was a disagreement over its final decisions. The poll body has said that individual observations and objections during the decision-making process did not amount to dissent over the decisions ultimately taken by the Commission.
The Election Commission has stated that decisions taken by the three-member poll panel, including those concerning the SIR of electoral rolls, were unanimous and had the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi.
The Commission has also maintained that the issues raised by the two election commissioners related to operational or draft-stage matters and formed part of the administrative process before final decisions were taken.
The differing accounts over the internal decision-making process have become a major point of contention between the poll panel and Opposition parties.
Speaking at the press conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the two parties had decided to organise the protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
"Under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, we have decided to hold a protest march on October 4 again we have decided to hold a protest in Mumbai against Chief of Election commission of India, Gyanesh Kumar."
Raut was among the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS leaders who addressed the press conference along with the two Thackeray brothers.
Raj Thackeray said the October 4 march would begin from Byculla and proceed towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, where the leaders would address the gathering.
"I have been raising the issue of EVMs since 2017-18, and I will speak about it in detail on October 4. The further course of action will be decided after the morcha. We would like to invite all political parties to join us in the morcha. If those in power also want to join, they are welcome to participate." said Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray's remarks indicate that the October 4 demonstration will also provide a platform for him to elaborate on his longstanding concerns regarding electronic voting machines. He said the next course of action would be decided after the march.
The proposed protest comes at a time when the Opposition has stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission over the electoral roll revision exercise and the functioning of the poll panel.
Both Thackeray brothers appealed to their party workers not to carry party flags during the morcha and instead carry the Indian national flag.
The appeal comes as the two parties prepare to jointly mobilise their workers for the October 4 demonstration, with the leadership seeking participation from other political parties as well.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "We are extending our full support to the protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party. All those who fight to save democracy will have our support."
The Congress on Monday held protests in several parts of the country against Kumar amid the controversy surrounding the SIR exercise.
The party has called for action against the Chief Election Commissioner and said its protests would continue until its demands are addressed. The developments have added to the wider political debate over the electoral roll revision process and the functioning of the Election Commission.
