India Morning News
Mumbai — Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has sharply criticized the Maharashtra Election Commission following its press conference on the upcoming local body elections. The controversy arose after journalists questioned Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare about duplicate voter names in the list — but his responses failed to convince them.
After watching the press conference video, Thackeray took to social media, expressing anger. He wrote, “Someone sent me this clip, and it made me very angry. It clearly shows that the Election Commission is not functioning independently. It seems to be under the control of those in power.”
Thackeray further said, “If they cannot answer basic questions about duplicate voters and errors in the list, what is the use of the Commission?”
He also appreciated the journalists who asked tough questions, adding, “Your questions confused the officials — that is real democracy.” Thackeray alleged that “many voters are registered under fake or wrong addresses, including public toilets and officials’ bungalows.”
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande joined in the criticism, saying, “Ignoring duplicate and fake voters is dangerous for democracy. If this continues, we will take strict action.”
Meanwhile, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar also reacted, stating, “If the Commissioner doesn’t talk about the issue, who will tell the truth? Still, at least he admitted that the problem exists.”
