MUMBAI — Taking a sharp swipe at Maharashtra’s opposition alliance following their massive protest march against the poll panel, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis labeled opposition leaders as “forgetful like Ghajini” for linking recent administrative appointments and electoral roll drives to the 2024 assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Nagpur, Fadnavis dismissed the joint rally led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, describing it as a thin-attendance effort to regain lost political ground.
Fadnavis Questions Opposition’s Electoral Timeline Logic
Taking direct aim at allegations raised during Sunday’s rally regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Fadnavis pointed out glaring chronological flaws in the opposition’s narrative:
“They have become like Ghajini. So I want to remind these Ghajinis that Gyanesh Kumar became Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in 2025, whereas elections in Maharashtra were held in 2024, and the SIR began in 2026,” Fadnavis stated. “How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became chief election commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?”
Fadnavis asserted that the opposition’s recurring allegations against poll authorities stem from frustration after being repeatedly turned down by voters.
The Opposition’s Warpath Against ECI
The political showdown intensified on Sunday when opposition leaders staged a joint march in Mumbai demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The protest brought together key political figures across party lines, including Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar, alongside NCP (SP) leaders Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad, and Anil Deshmukh.
The protest was triggered by controversy surrounding two central issues:
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Voter Roll Revisions: Opposition parties alleged that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative was designed to selectively purge voters from electoral rolls to favor the ruling coalition.
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Internal ECI Objections: Protesters cited media reports claiming Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections regarding the implementation of the SIR process multiple times over ten months.
Dismissing the claims as baseless falsehoods, Fadnavis maintained that the opposition is attempting to mask its repeated electoral defeats by attempting to undermine public faith in constitutional institutions.
