Mumbai, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has described the opposition-led ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally at Ramlila Maidan as the beginning of a major democratic movement, claiming that the mobilisation has challenged the political authority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction said the large turnout at the rally reflected growing public anger over alleged electoral irregularities, manipulation of voter lists and what opposition parties have termed a systematic attempt at “vote theft”.
The editorial launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of acting as a protective shield for the central government. It argued that concerns over voter-list discrepancies had gained significance following public disclosures by serving Election Commission officials.
“Vote-theft has now become a national slogan; it is the declaration of the people,” the editorial said, alleging that large numbers of voters had been removed from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The party also claimed that the rally’s scale and public response had drawn comparisons with the historic movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan from the same venue in 1975.
The editorial cited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the Modi-led government had lost its moral mandate in the 2024 general elections and was relying on institutional support to remain in power. It said Gandhi had also warned of legal action against those found complicit in electoral wrongdoing.
Responding to the opposition mobilisation, Amit Shah had described the ‘Chalo Delhi’ call as an invitation to political anarchy and defended the SIR exercise, alleging that opposition parties were seeking to protect illegal foreign infiltrators. Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, accused opposition leaders of trying to divide the country for political gains, according to the editorial.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) rejected the government’s argument, questioning how the deletion of Indian voters’ names could be justified by invoking the issue of foreign infiltrators.
Describing the rally as a turning point, the party said the demand for democratic restoration and accountability had gained fresh momentum.
FOLLOW NOW
 calls the ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally the start of a democratic movement and attacks the Modi government over alleged vote theft.){kind=link}