04 October,2026 12:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The protest, being held under the banner of the Virat Garjana Morcha, began at Metro Cinema in south Mumbai and proceeded towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Pic/Screengrab
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday led a joint protest march in Mumbai against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with opposition parties alleging irregularities in the electoral process and demanding his removal or resignation.
The protest, being held under the banner of the Virat Garjana Morcha, began at Metro Cinema in south Mumbai and proceeded towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Leaders and workers of the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) also participated in the march.
The march was organised to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters demanded action against Kumar and raised concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.
The allegations have been disputed by the Election Commission, which has maintained that its institutional processes remain functional and that decisions concerning electoral-roll revision are taken through established procedures.
The Thackerays' joint appearance marked a rare instance of the two cousins campaigning together after years of political separation. Their parties urged supporters to treat the march as a broader issue concerning electoral rights rather than a conventional party demonstration.
Party flags and symbols were not permitted during the march. Participants and supporters were instead asked to carry only the national tricolour, reinforcing the organisers' attempt to present the protest as a collective campaign around electoral and constitutional issues.
The decision also helped avoid the display of separate party identities as leaders and workers from different opposition groups joined the demonstration.
State leaders from the Congress and NCP (SP) were among those participating in the protest. The presence of multiple opposition parties gave the march a broader political character, with the participating groups raising objections to the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls.
The protest comes amid a wider campaign against the Election Commission and Kumar over the SIR exercise. Various opposition groups and civil society organisations have raised concerns about the revision process and its potential impact on voters.
The Thackeray-led march came two days after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) organised a "Jail Bharo Andolan" in Mumbai against Kumar. The CJP had demanded his resignation and raised concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process.
The October 2 protest at Shivaji Park was held despite police denying permission for the gathering. Mumbai Police subsequently registered a case against organisers and several unidentified participants over the unauthorised assembly.
(With inputs from PTI)
