Ashish Shelar calls Thackerays' anti-EC rally a 'march of foxes', questions EVM opposition

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar said Sunday's protest rally by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS against CEC Gyanesh Kumar was a "march of foxes" held on World Animal Day.

Shelar attacks Thackerays over EC criticism

He accused Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray as well as other Opposition parties of raising questions about the Election Commission and electronic voting machines (EVMs) because of their inability to win polls.

"Today is World Animal Day. After seeing the rally and its name, I feel it is not 'garjana' (roar) morcha but a 'kolhekui morcha' (march of foxes). The foxes are saying the grapes are sour. They blame the EC for their inability to win elections. This is a gathering of cunning people," Shelar asserted.

Slamming the Thackeray cousins for attacking the EC's decision-making process, Shelar said the duo must take a look at their own political relationship before taking such a stand.

"If you want to see how differences of opinion are followed by consensus, why look at the Election Commission? Uddhavji and Raj Thackeray, look at yourselves in the mirror," the BJP MLA said.

BJP leader cites EVM history, past election wins

On the demand for ballot paper voting, Shelar said EVMs were not introduced by a BJP government.

He cited its development in the late 1970s and its debut in Kerala in 1982 as well as amendments to the Representation of the People Act in 1989 during the tenure of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Uddhav Thackeray's party had won the Mumbai civic elections in 2007 and 2012 and retained power in 2017 using EVMs, he added.

Raj Thackeray's party had won 13 seats in the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly polls, while Uddhav Thackeray's party had won the Mumbai civic elections using EVMs, he pointed out.

"If you win. EVMs are good. But if someone else wins, then they are wrong. This is the stand of Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress," Shelar said.

Shelar questions opposition to SIR, CEC removal

The BJP leader further claimed Raj Thackeray had earlier sought cleaning up of electoral rolls and had raised concern about duplicate, dead and bogus voters before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Shelar cited the MNS chief's statements of October and November 2025 and January 2026 to back his point.

Ninety per cent of voters have already been mapped under SIR and the remaining cases were undecided, Shelar said while questioning Raj Thackeray's opposition to the process now. The SIR is intended to clean and strengthen the voters' list, he added.

Shelar also took a jibe at those seeking the removal of CEC Kumar and re-poll in Maharashtra. Kumar assumed office on February 19, 2025, after the Maharashtra Assembly polls had already been held (in November 2024), he added.

"After Gyanesh Kumar became Election Commissioner, six state elections were held. In three, the BJP or NDA won, while in three, non-BJP governments came to power. If it is three and three, what is the basis for this allegation?" he asked.

The criticism of the Election Commission was "not factual" and the Opposition is adopting a "our victory is right, someone else's victory is wrong" approach, Shelar claimed.

Sunday's 'garjana morcha' was a rally of "weak and rejected" political forces, he said.

"But people are alert and continue to exercise their right to vote," Shelar asserted.