96 Lakh ‘Fake’ Voters in Maharashtra, Says Raj Thackeray; Seeks Clean-Up Before Polls

Addressing the booth level representatives of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Thackeray said that if the polls are being conducted by rigging the voter list, it is the biggest insult to the voters. He urged party workers to verify voter lists to detect fake voters.

Various Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP) and MNS, recently met the State Election Commissioner and Chief Electoral Officer, alleging that duplicate names were found in voter rolls at different addresses and assembly segments.

The opposition called for the voter registers to be “corrected” and some removed.
“Anomalies” ahead of rural and urban body elections, which are due to be completed by January 31, 2026.

No political party can interfere with voter rolls and corrections and updates in voter lists are managed securely, the Maharashtra State Election Commission said on Saturday.

Raj Thackeray claimed on Sunday: “An attempt is being made to end regional parties. I have learned that 96 lakh fake voters have been registered in the voter list in Maharashtra for the upcoming elections. They had done this during the state elections too.”

He claimed that 8 to 10 lakh fake voters were added in Mumbai and 8 to 8.5 lakh fake voters were added in Thane, Pune and Nashik.

“They did it in every village and city. Will such polls be held in the country? If such polls are conducted, it will be an insult to the voters in Maharashtra and the country,” he said.

Thackeray said the ruling parties were upset over the Opposition’s attack on the Election Commission as it was hurting them.

“The Electoral Commission must show how it conducts local election polls before clearing the voter rolls. If elections must be held peacefully, clear the voter rolls first.”

Without naming the ruling BJP, Thackeray said he wanted to go to the polls by putting fake voters in the voter list.

“It doesn’t matter whether you vote or not. The match is fixed. What kind of democracy is this?” he asked.

Hitting out at those who belittled him for his poor election performance, Thackeray said how his party would have MPs and MPs if the voting arithmetic itself was “compromised”.

Thackeray’s party came up empty in state polls last year.

He said everyone knows how the ruling party won the 2024 assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Thackeray said the BJP had made the same accusations against the poll panel when it was in Opposition.

He also claimed that the operations of Mumbai airport will soon be shifted to Navi Mumbai airport.

Thackeray claimed that on some days even cargo will be shifted to Vadhavan Port (coming to neighboring Palghar district) and the land around Navi Mumbai Airport and the port will be given to the Adani group.

“I will not tolerate construction being built on the graves of Marathi people,” he said.

Thackeray also claimed that India’s first Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel was the first to oppose Mumbai’s merger with Maharashtra.