Mumbai, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for a nationwide movement by Opposition parties to restore paper ballot voting.
Thackeray alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to manipulate electoral outcomes and said an impartial inquiry should be conducted into the irregularities being raised around the voter-roll verification process. His remarks came amid continuing political controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In a statement on X, Thackeray called upon Opposition parties across the country to unite for a campaign seeking a return to paper ballots in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
He also criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, referring to reports of differences within the Election Commission over various decisions. Thackeray questioned Kumar’s silence amid the scrutiny and alleged that the functioning of the poll panel had raised concerns about electoral transparency.
Calling SIR a “new weapon” deployed since 2025, Thackeray alleged that the exercise was being used to manipulate voter lists. He said concerns about the process had become more serious following reports of objections within the Election Commission. Reports have indicated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised written objections to poll panel decisions on multiple occasions over the past 10 months.
Thackeray also used a reference to Sant Dnyaneshwar while targeting Kumar and the ruling establishment, saying, “‘Sant Dnyaneshwar’ once made a buffalo recite the Vedas; now, the buffaloes in power are getting their version of the Vedas recited through this ‘Gyanesh.’”
He demanded that the ongoing SIR exercise be scrapped and that an impartial probe be conducted into the alleged irregularities before any fresh verification process is undertaken.
“The SIR currently underway should be completely cancelled. An impartial probe must be conducted into the irregularities that have surfaced, and only then should a fresh verification process be undertaken,” he said.
Thackeray further urged Opposition parties to unite in demanding paper ballot voting, arguing that electoral transparency could be ensured only by returning to the traditional voting system.
His statement comes amid an escalating political dispute over the Election Commission, with several Opposition leaders and parties raising questions about its functioning and demanding action against Kumar.
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