Thackeray Brothers Lead Joint Mumbai March Demanding CEC...

By GT24x7 Reporter · 4 October 2026 · GlobalToday24x7

Thackeray Brothers Lead Massive Cross-Party Demonstration in Mumbai

In a significant political development in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray appeared together on Sunday, October 4, 2026, to lead a joint demonstration in South Mumbai. The protest targeted Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with organizers and participants demanding his immediate resignation over alleged discrepancies in the administration of electoral rolls. The procession saw substantial public participation as demonstrators marched through designated civic corridors in the state capital.

The march, which gathered momentum from Metro Cinema near Fashion Street and proceeded toward the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters precinct, brought together supporters from various civic groups, political cadres, and opposition factions. Protesters raised slogans directed at the Election Commission of India (ECI), criticizing recent administrative measures and calling for structural reforms in the country's voting mechanisms.

Absence of Party Flags Highlights Non-Partisan 'Tricolour' Mobilization

A defining characteristic of Sunday's demonstration was the explicit instruction from organizing leaders prohibiting the display of individual political party flags or partisan symbols. Instead, thousands of attendees marched holding only the Indian National Flag (Tricolour), intending to project the demonstration as a broad-based civil and constitutional movement rather than a single-party initiative.

Addressing the assembled crowd outside the civic headquarters, Uddhav Thackeray launched a sharp critique against the central administration, asserting that the Election Commission has functioned in an increasingly arbitrary manner. He alleged that administrative machinery was being used to undermine democratic norms and questioned official oversight regarding electoral integrity. Opposition representatives backed the assertion, calling for increased accountability across statutory electoral institutions.

Focus on SIR Voter Roll Controversy and EVM Demands

Taking the podium, MNS chief Raj Thackeray focused his address on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process currently being conducted by the ECI. He claimed that the exercise risked disenfranchising up to two crore voters across Maharashtra while pointing to the addition of tens of lakhs of names during prior electoral cycles. Raj Thackeray formally demanded the complete scrapping of the SIR drive and appealed to political parties across the spectrum to unite in demanding a return to paper ballots in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In response to previous opposition criticisms, representatives of the Election Commission of India and government officials have maintained that the SIR exercise is a routine, legally mandated procedure aimed at cleansing electoral rolls by eliminating duplicate, shifted, and deceased entries. ECI officials clarified that all voter revision orders were issued in strict compliance with statutory guidelines to ensure free and fair elections.

Administrative Adjustments, Security Operations, and Traffic Management

The scale of Sunday's mobilization necessitated elaborate security and logistics management by the Mumbai Police and local administration. The route of the march had been adjusted prior to the event following consultations between police leadership and organizers to prevent severe traffic congestion across South Mumbai arterials. Police personnel deployed along the Metro Cinema, Marine Lines, and CSMT belts ensured orderly crowd management and maintained designated emergency transit lanes.

Traffic authorities implemented temporary diversions during the morning hours to accommodate the heavy footfall around the BMC headquarters. The peaceful culmination of the public meeting outside the municipal building concluded the day's event, th...