Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 4 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday backed the joint protest march being led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the demand was not limited to the city and that similar concerns were being raised across Maharashtra.
Addressing a press conference, Pawar said political parties should come together to find a solution to alleged irregularities in the electoral process and take action against those found responsible.
"This demand is not limited to Mumbai. It is also being raised in Pune and Nagpur, and in several other parts of the state. The state government is going through the SIR process. When all concerned political parties come together to find a solution to this issue and take a decision regarding those who have committed irregularities, we will stand with them and extend our support," Pawar said.
Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are leading the joint protest march in Mumbai on Sunday, with the organisers alleging irregularities in the electoral process and demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray said the protest was also aimed at opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra and demanded that the exercise be cancelled.
"Our demand is that the entire SIR conducted in Maharashtra should be cancelled. The law says that SIR is conducted if an emergency situation arises. Forty to sixty lakh voters were added during the Assembly elections, and power was captured through this. And now, through SIR, two crore people are being removed. Who are these two crore voters? I appeal to all political parties to go to Delhi and demand that the SIR be cancelled. Voting machines should be discontinued, and elections should be conducted using ballot papers," Raj Thackeray said while addressing a huge gathering during the protest.
Raj Thackeray said his objection was not directed at any individual but at the manner in which governments were being run, and power was being exercised.
"We have no personal anger against anyone. Our objection is to how you are running the government and the manner in which you are exercising power. The people and voters should decide who will form the government and how the government will be run. The Election Commission should not decide this. The ruling establishment seems to believe that even if the country's situation is ruined and people protest, it will make no difference. Whenever a political party is in power, there is usually a fear of public reaction. But the current ruling establishment appears to have no such fear -- neither in Maharashtra nor at the Centre. During the BJP's tenure, it appears that only one industrialist is emerging. The Supreme Court and High Courts have been taken under control," he said.
Raj Thackeray also reiterated his longstanding allegations of irregularities in the electoral process and questioned the increase in the number of voters between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
"Since 2017-18, I have been saying that vote theft is taking place. Since then, I have been meeting leaders across the country. I met Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and several others. At that time, I had said that elections should be boycotted...There is definitely something wrong with the voting process. Elections cannot be conducted in this manner. What I said at that time is now being understood by everyone. How did they get a complete majority in the Assembly elections? In Maharashtra, the BJP, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar got a majority. But after that, there was no celebration in Maharashtra; there was only silence. There was no enthusiasm among party workers or the people. Between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, within a gap of just six months, the number of voters increased by lakhs. How did voting suddenly increase by lakhs within six months? How did the Assembly elections see one crore more votes than the Lok Sabha elections?"
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray questioned the process of appointing Election Commissioners and demanded greater accountability in the functioning of the Election Commission.
"I have a question mark over the appointment of the Election Commissioners. The Election Commission should be appointed through an election. Earlier, there was a committee comprising the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition. They (the central government) removed the Chief Justice from this committee. In place of the Chief Justice, they appointed a minister chosen by the Prime Minister. That minister is Amit Shah. There are hearings after hearings in the courts, but there is no accountability."
Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Election Commission was being used to affect voters' rights.
"The first question is: How was Gyanesh Kumar appointed? Does the Home Ministry have the power to cancel a person's citizenship rights? They are using that power through Gyanesh Kumar, and that is why we do not want Gyanesh Kumar. Earlier, it was 'India Against Corruption', and now it is 'India Against Vote Chors'... The BJP does not know how to run a government... The way you are running the government is not governance; it is revenge..."
Uddhav Thackeray further alleged that large numbers of names had been deleted from electoral rolls and said the protest was aimed at opposing what he described as attempts to undermine voting rights.
"We are standing here today to overthrow the dictator. Across the country, the names of 13 crore people have been deleted from the electoral rolls. Voters have been excluded in Bengal and Tamil Nadu as well... A by-election is currently underway in West Bengal, and people have approached the Supreme Court seeking their right to vote. The Supreme Court says that it is only a by-election, so what difference does it make? It is still not decided whether the hearing will be held tomorrow," he said.
The protest march came amid political row over the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the revision exercise and questioned the independence of the poll panel.
The issue gained further traction following The Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had recorded objections 14 times over key files in the last 10 months regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise and other electoral matters.
The reported objections included issues concerning Form 6, voter deletions and access to electoral-roll databases.
The Election Commission, however, rejected the suggestion that the reported objections amounted to institutional dissent over final decisions.
The poll panel said that operational queries, inputs and suggestions raised during the draft stage were part of its standard administrative and decision-making process. ECI stated that the decisions regarding the schedule of the SIR exercise were unanimous. (ANI)
Sharad Pawar backs Thackeray brothers' protest, says SIR issue not limited to Mumbai
