Story perspectives

Protest in Mumbai Targets Election Roll After Two Crore Omitted

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 4:14 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Two Crore Voter Erasure

Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray led a protest march in Mumbai Sunday, October 4, 2026, against Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Mumbai police said the rally lacked permission and would charge, while Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi lodged fourteen objections, calling SIR illegal.
Organizers warned the intensive revision had erased two crore Maharashtra voters, risking disenfranchisement.
The march started at Metro Cinema, ended at Corporation headquarters, drawing 6,000 attendees.

Right

Fadnavis Calls March Token

On Sunday, October 4 2026, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray led a Mumbai protest against Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the march drew thin attendance and was an attempt to regain political ground.
The Garjana Morcha started at Metro Cinema and ended at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters.
Election officials reported two crore voters omitted from draft roll because their forms were missing.

Center

Paper Ballot Protest

On Sunday, October 4, 2026, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray led a Mumbai protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The demonstrators also demanded that electronic voting machines be replaced with paper ballots.
The draft roll omitted two crore Maharashtra voters while the SIR cut 13 crore names.
Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi logged 14 objections, moving deadline to October 12.

Blindspot

Mumbai police said the march proceeded without official permission and announced they would file legal cases against the organizers, as reported by Left-leaning sources.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 1999, the Election Commission of India deployed electronic voting machines for the first time in a national election, reshaping India's voting infrastructure. The commission installed 1,000 machines across Maharashtra, and the Supreme Court later upheld their legality in a 2002 nationwide ruling. Today, Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, and Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clash over a draft roll omitting two crore, echoing disputes over voter registration and EVMs. The recurrence suggests unresolved roll inaccuracies and machine debates will fuel battles and protests, pressuring the Election Commission to act before the October 12 deadline.

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Two Crore Voter Erasure

Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray led a protest march in Mumbai Sunday, October 4, 2026, against Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Mumbai police said the rally lacked permission and would charge, while Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi lodged fourteen objections, calling SIR illegal.
Organizers warned the intensive revision had erased two crore Maharashtra voters, risking disenfranchisement.
The march started at Metro Cinema, ended at Corporation headquarters, drawing 6,000 attendees.

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