Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 5: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday criticised the protest led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing them of directing their frustration over electoral setbacks at the Election Commission.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Fadnavis described the Thackerays as "Ghajinis" and questioned their attempt to link the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections with Kumar's appointment as Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls undertaken in 2026.
"The morcha was an attempt to find back their lost ground. Despite all the hype, the attendance at the march was thin," Fadnavis said.
Earlier on Sunday, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray jointly led the 'Virat Garjana Morcha' in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Kumar and opposing the SIR exercise in Maharashtra. The march was held from Metro Cinema towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters. Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders also participated in the protest.
Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar joined the march, along with Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad and Anil Deshmukh of the NCP (SP).
The opposition has alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision and demanded Kumar's removal. The protesters also raised issues concerning the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and called for a return to ballot papers.
Fadnavis, however, questioned the chronology cited by the opposition.
"How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?" he asked.
His "Ghajini" reference was to the 2008 Hindi film in which the protagonist suffers from short-term memory loss. Fadnavis accused the protest leaders of making false statements and alleged that they were venting their frustration at the Election Commission after being rejected by voters.
According to the Election Commission of India's official profile, Gyanesh Kumar took charge as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner on February 19, 2025.
Kumar had, however, already been serving as an Election Commissioner since March 2024, before the Maharashtra Assembly election held on November 20, 2024.
Questions over voter additions, deletions and turnout figures were raised by the Congress following the Maharashtra election. The Election Commission subsequently responded to the allegations, disputing claims regarding voter-list changes and turnout figures.
The SIR is a separate exercise aimed at revising electoral rolls through enumeration and verification. The Election Commission's exercise in Maharashtra has drawn opposition criticism, with the Thackerays and other opposition leaders demanding that it be scrapped.
The Thackerays' joint appearance marked a rare show of political unity between the two cousins, who have led separate political organisations in Maharashtra. The protest has also brought the Congress and NCP (SP) together with the two parties in opposition to the ruling establishment over electoral-roll and election-related issues.