After criticism, Raj, Uddhav invite all opposition parties to join anti-EC protest
Thackeray Cousins Seek Wider Opposition Support for October 4 Election Commission Protest
Bharatmorning.com – Mumbai’s opposition politics is set for another public show of unity after Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray moved to include other parties in their planned march against the Election Commission on October 4.
The two leaders had initially announced the protest over allegations concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the handling of the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, exercise. The announcement prompted criticism that the initiative had been declared without prior consultation with other opposition groups. On Tuesday, the Thackeray cousins began reaching out to the Congress and their Maha Vikas Aghadi partners to bring them into the campaign.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Raj Thackeray had also opened a channel of communication with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He presented the contacts as part of a wider conversation among opposition parties over concerns related to electoral processes.
“Why shouldn’t they? All opposition parties are talking to one another on this issue,” Raut said. “This is the first spark from Mumbai against corrupt CEC Gynanesh Kumar.”
March planned from Byculla to BMC headquarters
The proposed morcha is scheduled to begin in Byculla and conclude near Azad Maidan at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters. Raj Thackeray announced the route during a joint media briefing with Uddhav Thackeray at his residence on October 2.
Both leaders framed the event as an action directed at the Election Commission rather than at a rival political party. Raj Thackeray said the concerns being raised about the commission and the alleged misuse of electronic voting machines had existed for a long time.
“This is not a morcha against any political party but against the EC, and any party can join us,” Raj Thackeray said.
He said participants should not bring political-party flags to the march. Instead, supporters were asked to carry the Indian tricolour, a choice he linked to the stated objective of protecting democratic institutions. The instruction appears intended to give the protest a broader public character and leave room for participation by organisations outside the two parties.
The outreach is politically significant because the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, Congress and other opposition formations do not always act through a single organisational platform. Bringing multiple parties to the same march would make the October 4 demonstration a test of how far they can coordinate around an issue that goes beyond an individual election contest.
Support for Cockroach Janata Party agitation
The joint appearance also included an expression of support for the Cockroach Janata Party’s agitation at Shivaji Park on October 2. Uddhav Thackeray said Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS would stand with the pressure group, referring to the support extended during its Jantar Mantar protest.
“We are with all those who want to save democracy,” Uddhav Thackeray said. “But this does not mean that we will go up on any dais.”
His remark drew a distinction between supporting a cause and sharing a political platform. It also reinforced the Thackerays’ attempt to present the Election Commission protest as an issue-based mobilisation rather than a conventional party rally.
The dispute centres on the Special Intensive Revision exercise and claims made by the organisers about the conduct of electoral administration. The Election Commission is responsible for overseeing elections and electoral rolls, making criticism of its functioning particularly sensitive. For the opposition, the planned march is meant to place those concerns in the public arena. For its critics, the protest raises questions about whether the claims are supported by the relevant facts.
Government and BJP respond cautiously
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the right to demonstrate was part of democratic life and declined to attack the organisers before the event. He said the issues being raised, and the examples cited in support of them, should be understood carefully.
“I won’t criticise anyone,” Fadnavis said. “But they must understand the issues they are fighting for and whether the examples cited are right or wrong. We will comment after the agitation is over.”
The BJP took a more direct line. Party spokesperson Navnath Ban argued that Shiv Sena (UBT) should examine its own electoral shortcomings rather than blame the Election Commission. He questioned how Gyanesh Kumar could be held accountable for the party’s Maharashtra defeat when Kumar was not serving as chief election commissioner at that time.
“Before blaming the Election Commission, the Shiv Sena (UBT) should introspect on the reasons for its own defeat,” Ban said. “How can CEC Gyanesh Kumar be held responsible for their defeat in Maharashtra when he was not the CEC at the time? If they cannot even manage their booth-level heads and BLA-2 representatives, why blame the EC?”
The reference to booth-level heads and BLA-2 representatives highlights the importance political parties place on their ground-level election machinery. Booth-level workers and authorised representatives are central to monitoring campaign activity, engaging with voters and participating in electoral processes at the local level. The BJP’s response therefore shifts the argument from institutional accountability to party organisation.
As October 4 approaches, the central question will be the scale and composition of the turnout. The Thackerays have invited participation across party lines, while stressing that national symbols rather than party banners should define the event. Whether Congress and other MVA allies formally join the march could determine whether it remains principally an MNS-Shiv Sena (UBT) initiative or develops into a wider opposition demonstration in Mumbai.
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