Full Breakdown
Thackeray Cousins Lead Mumbai Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 4 2026, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray led the “Virat Garjana Morcha” from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters. The march demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Maharashtra. Leaders of the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP joined, while organizers asked participants to carry only the national tricolour.
Background & Context
The SIR exercise, launched nationally in June 2025, updates electoral rolls by removing duplicate or ineligible entries. In Maharashtra, the August 31 draft omitted 2.07 crore electors and sent notices to 1.22 crore voters. Opposition parties claim the exercise disenfranchises voters and favours the ruling BJP. *The Indian Express* reported on September 23 that two Election Commissioners had objected to several SIR decisions, calling some actions “unauthorised and illegal.”
Data & Statistics
- 2.07 crore electors omitted in the Maharashtra draft.
- 1.22 crore voters served notices in Maharashtra.
- Draft roll for Maharashtra: ?7.71 crore voters (?78 % of the pre-SIR total of 9.78 crore).
- Nationwide SIR has removed ?13 crore names across 30 states and UTs.
- Claim deadline for missing names: September 30.
- Extended objection deadline in Maharashtra: October 12; notice-issuing process extended to November 10.
- Final electoral roll scheduled for November 4.
Official Statements & Responses
Uddhav Thackeray argued that voter-verification authority has been centralised in the CEC’s office, citing a letter from Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam requesting devolved powers. He also questioned the appointment process for Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission maintains that the SIR is a routine update aimed at cleaning the rolls and that mechanisms exist for filing claims and objections. It has not commented on the specific allegations raised by the protest leaders.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Voter deletions: Opposition cites 2 crore Maharashtra voters removed and 13 crore nationwide, while the Election Commission’s data points to 2.07 crore omitted in the Maharashtra draft and 2.06 crore uncollectable nationwide.
- Bangladeshi immigrants: Raj Thackeray asked the Commission to disclose how many omitted voters were identified as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants; no figures have been provided.
- Legal basis: Raj Thackeray contends the SIR lacks statutory authority, whereas the Commission asserts it operates under existing electoral-roll-revision provisions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If, under ‘Make in India’, you are also going to manufacture a dictator in our country, then we have gathered here today to bury that dictatorship and put an end to it.” — Uddhav Thackeray
- “The SIR process in Maharashtra must be completely scrapped. Voting through EVMs (electronic voting machines) in the country should be stopped, and we should go back to voting through ballot papers,” — Raj Thackeray
- “You can control institutions, but streets belong to us,” — Uddhav Thackeray
What’s Next
- October 12: Deadline for filing claims and objections on the Maharashtra draft roll.
- November 4: Publication of the final electoral roll for Maharashtra.
- November 10: Extended deadline for the Election Commission to issue and decide notices on objections.
The protest highlights a contest over electoral-roll management and the perceived independence of India’s Election Commission ahead of upcoming elections.