Raj and Uddhav Thackeray to lead joint march against Election Commission in Mumbai on October 4

Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have announced a joint march in Mumbai on October 4. The march is against the functioning of the Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The two parties said its main issues would be the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and the working of the Election Commission.

The two leaders held a joint press conference on September 29, where Raj Thackeray outlined the plan for the march. According to him, it will begin at 10 am from Byculla and proceed towards the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. A stage will be set up there and the march will turn into a public meeting.

Raj Thackeray said he has been questioning the Election Commission's functioning for several years. He also said he has earlier spoken to several leaders on the EVM issue. According to him, he will present his views on the subject in detail at the October 4 march.

Raj Thackeray said the effort is to bring in as many people as possible by not giving the march the colour of any one party. He said all political parties will be invited to the march, and willing members of the ruling party will also be urged to join.

Raj Thackeray made it clear that no political party's flag will be carried at the march and people will hold the national tricolour. According to him, the matter concerns democracy and the Constitution, which is why the approach is to take everyone along.

Raj and Uddhav Thackeray have taken a common position on issues related to the election process before. The October 4 march is the next joint political programme in that series.

Political parties are currently divided over the SIR of the voter list. The Thackeray cousins have registered objections to the process. The Election Commission, for its part, has put forward its position on the SIR process. It has also issued a clarification amid varied reports of differences within the Commission.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has extended the last date for claims, objections and suggestions related to the SIR in Maharashtra from September 30 to October 12. According to the Commission, entries in the draft voter list are being checked on a large scale.

The BJP has alleged that the opposition, through this march, wants to shift the blame for its electoral defeats onto the Election Commission. Raj Thackeray was asked about this. In reply, he cited a Marathi proverb and responded in a single sentence.

Maharashtra's politics now looks to the October 4 march. It will be important to see which parties join it and what stand Raj and Uddhav Thackeray take there on the Election Commission and the SIR process.