Archive · 4 Oct 2026
Raj Thackeray Demands Scrapping SIR, Return to Paper Ballots
Raj Thackeray spoke at a protest march in Mumbai on October 4, 2026.
He wants the voter-list review called SIR to stop in Maharashtra.
He also wants elections to use paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines.
He claimed that two crore voters had been removed across India and questioned changes in Maharashtra’s voter numbers.
These claims were made by Thackeray and are not independently confirmed in the articles.
His cousin Uddhav Thackeray joined him in leading the march.
Uddhav accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP.
The Election Commission has said that questions raised by its members during draft work are part of normal administrative practice.
At Mumbai’s Garjana Morcha on October 4, 2026, Raj Thackeray demanded that Maharashtra’s SIR process be scrapped and future elections use paper ballots.
Thackeray alleged that two crore voters had been removed nationwide and questioned how Maharashtra gained 40–60 lakh voters between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
He also questioned the BJP’s vote totals, citing 2.44 crore votes in the Lok Sabha election and 3.16 crore in the Assembly election.
Raj and Uddhav Thackeray jointly led the march from near Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters; Congress and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders also took part.
Uddhav Thackeray accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP; the Election Commission has said member queries during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice.
- Who
- MNS president Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray led the march, with opposition party participants.
- What
- The Garjana Morcha protested the SIR process and the Election Commission; Raj Thackeray demanded scrapping SIR and a return to paper ballots.
- When
- October 4, 2026.
- Where
- Mumbai, Maharashtra; the march went from near Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters.
- Why
- Raj Thackeray alleged voter-roll irregularities and challenged the legality of SIR; the protest also raised concerns about the Election Commission’s handling of the process.
Opposition leaders’ allegations
Election Commission’s response
SIR process and voter rolls
Opposition leaders’ allegations
Raj Thackeray called the SIR drive illegal and alleged that it removed two crore voters nationwide; opposition figures raised concerns about voter-roll changes and the risk of genuine voters losing voting rights.
Election Commission’s response
The Election Commission said that operational queries or inputs raised by commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice to safeguard voter rights.
Election Commission’s conduct
Opposition leaders’ allegations
Uddhav Thackeray accused the Election Commission of acting in favour of the BJP, while opposition protesters called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Election Commission’s response
The articles report the Election Commission’s response to the investigation into internal objections, but do not provide a direct response from Kumar to the allegations made at the Mumbai rally.
- Event
- Garjana Morcha
- Date
- October 4, 2026
- Route
- Near Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, Mumbai
- Raj Thackeray’s demands
- Scrap SIR in Maharashtra and use paper ballots instead of EVMs in future elections
- Voter removal allegation
- Raj Thackeray alleged that two crore voters had been removed nationwide
- Maharashtra voter increase claim
- He questioned an alleged increase of 40–60 lakh voters between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections
- Additional cited figures
- Thackeray said the BJP received 2.44 crore votes in the Lok Sabha election and 3.16 crore in the Assembly election
- Participants
- Uddhav Thackeray, Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Left parties were named among participants
