The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Congress, the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Nationalist Congress Party-SP along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Saturday held a protest march against alleged irregularities in the voters list, which the Opposition has been claiming were helping the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Opposition accused the Election Commission of India of turning a blind eye to alleged voters list irregularities like multiple entries, wrongful deletions and additions etc and asserted local body polls in Maharashtra should go ahead only after these shortcomings are rectified.
The 'Satyacha Morcha' (march for truth) started from Fashion Street in the southern part of the metropolis in the afternoon and culminated at the BMC headquarters a kilometre away, with former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar, MNS' Raj Thackeray and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, among others, taking part.
Speaking at the rally organised at the end of the march, Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray said his name was uploaded on the 'Saksham' app from a fake mobile.
"I have a doubt that it was done to remove my name from the voters list," the former chief minister claimed.
Reciting a dialogue from Sholay, he used the 'anaconda' jibe to target the BJP.
"Like the dialogue 'pachees kos door jab bachcha rota hai to maa kehti hai so jao nahi to Gabbar aa jayega', I want to tell you all to stay awake or else anaconda will come," Thackeray said.
He said the opposition wants elections to be held as it is eager to defeat the ruling alliance.
"You steal my party, my symbol, my father's name and now you want to steal votes," Thackeray said in a swipe at the BJP-led ruling dispensation.
Raj Thackeray alleged there are "lakhs of dual voters in Mumbai" as per the electoral rolls uploaded till July 1 this year.
"There are about 4500 voters who have voted in Kalyan rural assembly (in neighbouring Thane district) as well as Malabar Hill assembly (in south Mumbai). What is the need for elections with this bogus voter list? Clean it up and then hold polls," the MNS leader said.
The local body polls have already been delayed for five years and there would be no problem if it was pushed back further by a year, he added.
He asked party functionaries to check the electoral rolls minutely for dual voters.
"Whenever dual voters are caught, thrash them and then hand them over to the police," he added.
Raj Thackeray also asked party workers to not be complacent just because he and Uddhav Thackeray have come together.
"We have joined hands for Marathi Hindus and the people of Maharashtra," the MNS chief said.
NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar said the morcha was an exemplary show of strength and unity for protecting the Constitution and parliamentary democracy.
He said the BJP-led governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre were misusing power to target rivals.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said the vote theft issue was first flagged by Rahul Gandhi and is now resonating across the country.
"During the assembly elections, our objection to the electoral rolls went unheeded. The voters list should be rectified and only then local body elections should be held," he asserted.
Congress leaders Naseem Khan, Satej Patil and Bhai Jagtap, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule also took part in the protest mocha.
Raj Thackeray, along with his supporters and party colleague Bala Nandgaonkar, boarded a train at Dadar station and headed to Churchgate. Addressing a gathering in Mumbai earlier this week, Thackeray had appealed to MNS workers to take public transport to reach the venue.