Opposition’s voter list charge loses steam as experts say matter is too weak to hold up in court; but despite strong speeches and promises of court action, no petition has been filed so far
The entire Opposition held a rally in Mumbai on November 1 to protest against the irregularities in the voters’ list. Pic/Ashish Raje
Twenty days after Opposition leader Uddhav Thackeray and other parties announced on November 1 that they would move court over alleged irregularities in the voter lists, there has been no progress. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, along with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, accused the Election Commission of ignoring their demand to postpone local body elections until widespread errors — such as missing and duplicate names, incorrect age or gender entries and faulty addresses — were corrected.
To protest, the entire Opposition held a rally in Mumbai on November 1. But despite strong speeches and promises of court action, no petition has been filed so far. When asked why the case has not been filed, a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity, “When we sought legal advice, experts told us the case is weak and unlikely to hold up in court.”
According to the leader, lawyers warned that if the petition claims such irregularities existed during the 2024 Assembly elections, the court will first ask how many official objections were filed at that time. As per procedure, political parties are required to raise objections during or immediately after elections when the Election Commission opens the correction window.
During last year’s Lok Sabha elections, the MVA won 31 of Maharashtra’s 48 seats. But the picture changed drastically in the Assembly polls six months later, when the Mahayuti alliance won 232 of the 288 constituencies. Almost a year has passed since the state elections, and the Opposition had not raised major concerns until recently. The issue gained momentum after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke about alleged “vote chori,” prompting leaders from the Sena (UBT) and the MNS to highlight similar claims.
When the controversy over faulty voter lists first surfaced, the MVA and MNS accused the ruling alliance of benefiting from the errors. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned the timing and said the Opposition should show evidence of objections filed within the required deadlines. “Show me where the Opposition raised objections on time. Now that they are seeing defeat, they are trying to create a narrative and find an excuse,” Fadnavis had said during Diwali interactions with reporters, including mid-day. He had also dared the Opposition to take the matter to court.
Since then, the Opposition, which was vocal about alleged anomalies in the voter lists, has gone largely silent. With no court case filed so far, questions are now being raised about the seriousness of their claims. A Sena (UBT) leader, however, said the legal option has not been completely ruled out. “Experts have given their views. But if all Opposition parties agree to proceed as announced during the protest rally, we might still go ahead with a legal battle,” the leader said.
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