Ahead of Maharashtra local body polls, Aaditya targets SEC over draft voters' list

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday claimed the draft voters' list of Mumbai uploaded on Maharashtra State Election Commission's website bears a different date than November 20 when it was officially published, and dubbed it an "anti-national" activity.

Polls to 246 municipal councils and various other local bodies in Maharashtra are scheduled on December 2.

In a post on X, former state minister Thackeray said the draft voters' list was officially published and uploaded by the evening of November 20.

Earlier, it was declared to be published on November 7, but it was delayed to November 14 and then finally uploaded on November 20, he said.

"Yet, yesterday when one of our office bearers purchased this list officially from the central election office of the BMC, we were shocked to see the published date as November 14," the Sena (UBT) leader said.

"This is not a mistake, it is anti national activity by the Election Commission," he alleged.

Why did the EC hold back the list then for a week, if it was indeed published on November 14, Thackeray asked.

"Were they waiting for any orders from any political bosses? Did they wait till the lists they had to induce their malpractice into was ready? Who all had access to this list for a week before it was uploaded on the 20th?" he asked.

"This is not a mistake, this is a crime. This is anti national and anti democratic activity by the central election office of the BMC and the election commission," Thackeray alleged.

"We have more of their crimes that we will release soon to the nation!" he claimed. PTI PR GK