Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has announced a joint public march with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai on October 4 over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The proposed march will bring the two Thackeray-led parties together in a public protest against the Election Commission’s handling of the voter-list revision exercise. Raj Thackeray made the announcement on Saturday and called for wider participation from political parties and citizens.
The announcement comes amid a growing political controversy over the Election Commission’s functioning and its decisions related to SIR.
Raj Thackeray Calls For Wider Participation
Raj Thackeray said the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) would jointly take the lead in organising the October 4 march, but stressed that it should not be limited to the two parties.
He appealed to other political parties to join the protest, saying the proposed demonstration should represent a broader public and political response to the issues surrounding the electoral-roll revision.
Thackeray also urged citizens to participate in large numbers. He described the march as an effort linked to protecting democratic institutions and constitutional principles.
The exact route, venue and timing of the march are expected to be announced later.
Raj Thackeray Targets Election Commission Over SIR
In his criticism of the poll panel, Raj Thackeray alleged that voters were being misled through the SIR exercise. He also accused the Election Commission of functioning in a manner that favoured the ruling establishment at the Centre.
These are political allegations made by the MNS chief. The Election Commission has rejected claims of internal division over SIR and maintained that final decisions of the poll panel were taken unanimously.
The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations during internal deliberations are part of the decision-making process and do not necessarily represent disagreement with the final decisions.
SIR Row And Reported Objections Within ECI
The October 4 protest comes against the backdrop of reports about objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi during the SIR process.
An investigation published by The Indian Express reported that the two Election Commissioners had raised objections on several occasions over issues connected with voter registration, deletion and restoration of names and the handling of electoral-roll data.
The Election Commission, however, said these internal observations were part of normal deliberations and maintained that decisions, including those concerning SIR, received the approval of all three members of the Commission, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
October 4 March To Bring MNS And Uddhav Sena Together
The proposed Mumbai march is significant as it will see the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) jointly lead a public mobilisation on the SIR issue.
Raj Thackeray has indicated that discussions will be held with other political parties to broaden participation. The two parties are therefore seeking to turn the October 4 event into a wider political and public demonstration rather than a programme restricted to their own organisations.
Further details about the march are expected to be announced by the organisers ahead of October 4.
