A protest march led by Uddhav Thackeray and joined by opposition leaders in Mumbai targeted the Chief Election Commissioner, citing allegations of BJP influence and demanding the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, with calls for a return to paper ballot voting and broader efforts to protect democracy.

A protest march led by Uddhav Thackeray and joined by opposition leaders in Mumbai targeted the Chief Election Commissioner, citing allegations of BJP influence and demanding the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, with calls for a return to paper ballot voting and broader efforts to protect democracy.

A protest march led by Uddhav Thackeray and joined by opposition leaders in Mumbai targeted the Chief Election Commissioner, citing allegations of BJP influence and demanding the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, with calls for a return to paper ballot voting and broader efforts to protect democracy.

The Thackeray cousins led a protest march in Mumbai against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), which culminated in a rally also attended by leaders from the Congress as well as the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was the "weapon" of the ruling BJP, while Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray demanded the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra.

The MNS chief demanded that future elections should be conducted through paper ballots. He also demanded the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra.

If the SIR was conducted to weed out Bangladeshis from the voters' list, then how many Bangladeshis residing illegally in the country did the government find, Uddhav Thackeray asked.

"Gyanesh Kumar is a weapon of the BJP," the former chief minister reportedly alleged.

"And now that evidence has come out through the Election Commission, the BJP can do anything for power," he said while criticising the manner in which the apex poll panel's members were being appointed.

The process of appointing the Election Commission was changed, and a Supreme Court judge was removed from the selection panel, which is where the irregularities started, Thorat claimed.

"All those who gain power do so through the theft of votes. They use various methods. Gyanesh Kumar is a symbol of this corrupt administration," the senior Congress leader alleged.

The period since 2014 will be remembered as a "dark period" in the country's history. The Narendra Modi-led NDA dispensation has been in power since 2014.

"We now have to correct this. We have to re-establish democracy and the Constitution and protect their dignity. All of you will have to rise. You will have to struggle, and once again, all of us will have to work to save democracy," Balasaheb Thorat was quoted as saying by PTI.

The morcha, dubbed the Virat Garjana Morcha (Grand Roar March), began from Metro Cinema and traversed the short distance to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in South Mumbai.

Participants sought the removal/resignation of the CEC over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Party flags were not allowed in the march. The participants and supporters were asked to carry only the Tricolour.

The morcha comes two days after the Cockroach Janta Party held a 'Jail Bharo Andolan' against the Chief Election Commissioner at Mumbai's Shivaji Park.

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