The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena have announced a joint Mumbai protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 4, 2026, with the organisers describing it as a public mobilisation against the Election Commission’s use of the Special Intensive Revision process and inviting opposition parties to participate.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced the proposed march on Saturday after a meeting between Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut and an MNS representative. The organisers said the protest would not be held under the banner of a single political party and would instead seek participation from political parties and citizens across Maharashtra.
The joint appeal issued in the names of Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray alleged that the Election Commission had committed a major fraud in the name of SIR under Kumar’s leadership. The allegation was presented by the organisers as a constitutional and democratic concern. The source report did not include a response from the Chief Election Commissioner or the Election Commission to these allegations.
The organisers have not yet announced the march’s route, starting point or timing. They said these details would be released later. The absence of a route means the potential impact on Mumbai’s roads, public spaces and traffic movement cannot yet be assessed.
The proposed mobilisation comes amid opposition criticism of the Election Commission and reports of internal differences within the poll body. Raj Thackeray had earlier criticised the Commission’s functioning in a Facebook post, according to the report.
The organisers said they would approach political parties including the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction, the Samajwadi Party and Prakash Ambedkar’s party. A Congress leader quoted in the report welcomed the prospect of a Mumbai march but said the party had not yet received an invitation and that its participation could not be confirmed. The leader also said the date and route were not yet available.
The march is being presented by the two Maharashtra parties as a public event rather than a party-only programme. Raj Thackeray appealed to residents of Maharashtra to participate in large numbers in what he described as a mobilisation to protect democracy and the Constitution.
Another political group has also announced a possible protest linked to the issue. Abhijit Deepke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, reportedly gave Kumar an ultimatum to resign by October 2 and threatened a large protest in Mumbai if that did not happen. Deepke said the proposed agitation could extend beyond Mumbai to other cities.
The next confirmed step from the MNS and Shiv Sena is the announcement of the march’s time and location. Participation by other opposition parties and the administrative arrangements for the proposed Mumbai protest remain to be clarified.
