96 lakh 'fake' voters in Maharashtra: Raj Thackeray; demands clean-up before local polls
Mumbai (PTI): MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday alleged that 96 lakh fake voters have been added to Maharashtra's electoral rolls and challenged the Election Commission, asking how it will hold the local body polls without cleaning up the voters' list.
Addressing booth-level agents of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Thackeray said if polls are held by rigging the voters' list, then it is the biggest insult to electors. He urged his party workers to verify the voters' list to find out fake voters.
Various Opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP) and MNS, recently met the State Election Commissioner and Chief Electoral Officer, while claiming that there are duplicate names in the electoral rolls across different addresses and assembly segments.
The Opposition has called for “rectification” in the electoral rolls and removal of “anomalies” ahead of the rural and urban body elections, which are to be completed by January 31, 2026.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Saturday said that no political party can tamper with the electoral rolls and that corrections and updates on the voter lists are being managed securely.
Raj Thackeray on Sunday alleged, "An attempt is being made to finish regional parties. I have learnt that 96 lakh fake voters have been enrolled in the voters' list in Maharashtra for the upcoming polls. They had also done this during the state polls as well."
He claimed that 8 to 10 lakh fake voters have been added in Mumbai and 8 to 8.5 lakh in Thane, Pune and Nashik.
"They have done it in every village and city. Will polls take place like this in the country? If polls are held like this, then it is an insult to voters in Maharashtra and the country," he said.
Thackeray said the ruling parties are upset when the Opposition hits out at the Election Commission because that hurts them.
"The Election Commission should show how it conducts the local body polls before cleaning up the electoral rolls. If polls have to be held peacefully, then clean the voters' list first," he warned.
Without naming the ruling BJP, Thackeray said it wants to face the polls by putting fake electors in the voters' list.
"It does not matter whether you cast a vote or not. The match has been fixed. What kind of democracy is this?" he asked.
Hitting out at those who scorned him for poor electoral performances, Thackeray said how will his party have MLAs and MPs if the voting arithmetic itself is "compromised".
Thackeray's party drew a blank in the state polls last year.
He said everyone knows how the ruling party won the 2024 assembly polls in Maharashtra.
When the BJP was in the Opposition, it used to make the same charges against the poll body, Thackeray said.
He also claimed that the operations of Mumbai airport will soon be shifted to the Navi Mumbai airport.
In some days, even the cargo will be shifted to the Vadhavan Port (coming up in neighbouring Palghar district) and land around the Navi Mumbai Airport and port will be given to the Adani group, Thackeray further claimed.
"I will not tolerate development built over the tomb of Marathi people," he said.
Thackeray also claimed that it was India's first Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, who first opposed the merging of Mumbai with Maharashtra.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
