Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray announced on Monday, November 3, 2025, that local body elections in Maharashtra must be postponed until the state’s electoral rolls are thoroughly audited and cleaned up.
He forcefully dismissed accusations from the ruling BJP about “appeasement politics” concerning voter list discrepancies. Thackeray emphasized that neither Shiv Sena (UBT) nor any other opposition party has linked alleged “bogus” voters to any specific religion, focusing solely on the integrity of the electoral process.
During a press conference, Mr. Thackeray accused both the Election Commission and the Union government of being “afraid of Gen Z.” He highlighted that individuals turning 18 after July 1 would be unfairly disenfranchised, as the Election Commission has set an eligibility cut-off date of July 1 for the upcoming local body elections.
“The Election Commission is responsible for correcting all errors, including duplicate and fraudulent names, in the voter list. Our parties have never mentioned any voter’s religion when pointing out these inaccuracies. We are not against holding elections, but they must only occur after the electoral rolls are genuinely clean,” Mr. Thackeray stated.
He urged citizens to visit their nearest Shiv Sena (UBT) ‘shakha’ (locality offices) to meticulously check if their names are correctly listed and to report any errors or omissions. “We are establishing centers for voters’ convenience. It’s crucial for people to verify their eligibility at polling stations, allowing us to identify how many young voters are being denied their constitutional right,” the former Chief Minister emphasized.
In a sharp critique aimed at BJP leader Ashish Shelar, Mr. Thackeray remarked that Shelar had “courageously” if “unwittingly,” labeled Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as “Maharashtra’s Pappu” for his perceived failure to acknowledge voter list irregularities.
Mr. Thackeray further suggested internal divisions within the BJP regarding this sensitive issue.
He implied that Mr. Shelar’s comments served multiple purposes, saying, “If the BJP truly advocates for cleaning up the electoral rolls, they should have joined the opposition parties in approaching the ECI and State Election Commission with their demands.”
He reiterated, “We have not requested voter roll corrections based on religion. We intend to take legal action to ensure the voter list is corrected. If Shelar recognizes these problems, the BJP should logically join our lawsuit.”
Earlier that day, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar had accused Uddhav Thackeray and MNS head Raj Thackeray of engaging in appeasement politics. Shelar argued that by highlighting multiple entries of Hindu voters, they were creating Hindu-Muslim divisions and questioned why they avoided mentioning irregularities concerning other communities.
Mr. Thackeray also expressed serious concerns about the Election Commission’s Saksham app and its server, warning that potential irregularities could lead to the wrongful deletion of legitimate voters’ names.
“We are committed to exposing the Election Commission’s flawed practices. If you find voters registered at your address who do not reside there, please report them. Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties are resolute in their decision to seek court intervention for the rectification of duplicate and bogus entries before any elections are conducted,” Mr. Thackeray declared.
The Supreme Court has mandated the Maharashtra State Election Commission to finalize and conduct local body polls in the State by January 31, 2026.
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), alongside the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), organized a protest march against the alleged irregularities in the voter lists. The opposition claims these discrepancies unfairly benefit the ruling BJP.
The Opposition has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of ignoring alleged voter list irregularities, such as multiple entries, incorrect deletions, and additions, which they believe undermine the democratic process.