Divisions over election strategy have surfaced within the opposition camp in Maharashtra even as leaders joined forces in Mumbai to mount pressure against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing supporters, prominent figures demanded the immediate cancellation of the SIR exercise conducted in Maharashtra and called for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, asserting that protests would persist until he steps down. However, unity fractured when MNS chief Raj Thackeray floated the idea of boycotting upcoming elections, a proposal swiftly rejected by senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan as counterproductive.
Raj Thackeray Demands Full Boycott Citing Electoral Roll Anomalies
Advocating an aggressive stance, MNS chief Raj Thackeray told the gathering that boycotting elections is necessary so that the ground reality becomes indisputably clear. He stated that taking such an extreme measure is vital to expose how the system is functioning. Thackeray claimed that he has been raising alarms regarding discrepancies in voter lists since 2017-18, arguing that legitimate votes cannot shrink arbitrarily nor can Bharatiya Janata Party tally numbers surge unnaturally without manipulation. He remarked that his grievance is not simply about who occupies power, but about the manner and motives behind running the administration. Thackeray maintained that the public must retain the genuine authority to determine who governs the nation.
Chavan Opposes Boycott Stance, Highlights 2024 Election Irregularities
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan openly broke with Raj Thackeray on the boycott proposal, stating that walking away from the electoral contest is fundamentally flawed. Chavan argued that demanding a democratically elected administration is a constitutional entitlement and that stepping aside from polling booths is not a sound political strategy. According to him, surrendering the democratic battlefield does not resolve issues surrounding voter roll integrity.
To underline his point, Chavan recounted his personal experience from his 2024 election contest, during which he formally protested widespread manipulation. He pointed out that duplicate voters had been inserted into the electoral rolls within his constituency, enabling individuals to cast ballots multiple times. Furthermore, he noted that minority voters in specific pockets were systematically prevented from exercising their franchise, while impoverished citizens were similarly disenfranchised in other locations. Pointing out that these affected groups largely backed the Congress party, Chavan described the operation not merely as individual vote theft, but as the systematic theft of an entire election.
Nationwide Demonstrations Against Gyanesh Kumar, 2006 Kerala Case Reopened
Meanwhile, demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have been expanding across multiple urban centers as tensions over the SIR continue to escalate. Gyanesh Kumar has not made any public appearances since new disclosures regarding the SIR came to light. Compounding his administrative challenges, the state government in Kerala has reopened a two-decade-old file involving him and directed a vigilance inquiry.
The controversy dates back to 2006, a period when Gyanesh Kumar served as Kerala's Public Works Department secretary. During that assignment, a Malaysian engineer committed suicide, with allegations indicating that Gyanesh Kumar's name appeared in the suicide note. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has officially transferred the case to the Vigilance Director for fresh scrutiny. Chennithala stated that the original investigation conducted twenty years ago lacked thoroughness, prompting the state administration to reopen the long-pending file to ascertain the facts.
