MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray have announced a joint march in Mumbai on October 4 to protest the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, deepening the cousins' political partnership after years of bitter rivalry.
The announcement, made on September 26, said the two parties — the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) — would invite other political parties to join the march and appealed to people across Maharashtra to take part. The time and venue for the march are to be announced later.
In a joint statement, the two leaders accused the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, of functioning in the interests of the ruling party. They alleged that voters had been wronged in the name of the SIR process. The statement called on citizens to "come together to save democracy in the country and its Constitution."
The march call follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections to poll-panel decisions on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months. The reported disagreements covered matters including voter registration changes, the deletion and restoration of names, and control over electoral-roll data. The Election Commission disputed the suggestion that such differences undermined the validity of its decisions, saying differences of opinion were natural and that final decisions, including SIR orders, had been approved unanimously.
The political temperature around the Election Commission had already risen earlier in the week. On September 23, Uddhav Thackeray demanded the removal and prosecution of Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of "murdering democracy and insulting the Constitution," and called for recent elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to be annulled and re-held using ballot papers.
The October 4 march is the latest joint move by the Thackeray cousins, who reconciled earlier this year to contest the Mumbai civic election together with a joint manifesto and a campaign centred on Marathi identity. The alliance lost the BMC election to the BJP-led Mahayuti, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 65 seats and the MNS six.
Observers will now watch whether the SIR march can draw a broader opposition coalition — and whether the brothers' reunion translates into sustained political momentum ahead of upcoming state-level contests.
Sources: "Raj, Uddhav Thackeray announce joint Mumbai march against SIR on October 4" (News89, https://news89.com/raj-uddhav-thackeray-announce-joint-mumbai-march-against-sir-on-october-4/); "Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray Announce Joint March in Mumbai Against SIR on October 4" (The CSR Journal, https://thecsrjournal.in/raj-thacke...oint-march-in-mumbai-against-sir-on-october-4)
The announcement, made on September 26, said the two parties — the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) — would invite other political parties to join the march and appealed to people across Maharashtra to take part. The time and venue for the march are to be announced later.
In a joint statement, the two leaders accused the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, of functioning in the interests of the ruling party. They alleged that voters had been wronged in the name of the SIR process. The statement called on citizens to "come together to save democracy in the country and its Constitution."
The march call follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections to poll-panel decisions on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months. The reported disagreements covered matters including voter registration changes, the deletion and restoration of names, and control over electoral-roll data. The Election Commission disputed the suggestion that such differences undermined the validity of its decisions, saying differences of opinion were natural and that final decisions, including SIR orders, had been approved unanimously.
The political temperature around the Election Commission had already risen earlier in the week. On September 23, Uddhav Thackeray demanded the removal and prosecution of Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of "murdering democracy and insulting the Constitution," and called for recent elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to be annulled and re-held using ballot papers.
The October 4 march is the latest joint move by the Thackeray cousins, who reconciled earlier this year to contest the Mumbai civic election together with a joint manifesto and a campaign centred on Marathi identity. The alliance lost the BMC election to the BJP-led Mahayuti, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 65 seats and the MNS six.
Observers will now watch whether the SIR march can draw a broader opposition coalition — and whether the brothers' reunion translates into sustained political momentum ahead of upcoming state-level contests.
Sources: "Raj, Uddhav Thackeray announce joint Mumbai march against SIR on October 4" (News89, https://news89.com/raj-uddhav-thackeray-announce-joint-mumbai-march-against-sir-on-october-4/); "Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray Announce Joint March in Mumbai Against SIR on October 4" (The CSR Journal, https://thecsrjournal.in/raj-thacke...oint-march-in-mumbai-against-sir-on-october-4)
