Raj Thackeray seeks Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, says 'Express' report validates charges

MNS chief Raj Thackeray Thursday called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and an investigation into what he termed "match-fixing" in the Election Commission, after an Indian Express report revealed that two Election Commissioners had formally objected to poll panel decisions 14 times in 10 months. Calling the report a validation of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's allegations, Thackeray said it had "stirred the entire nation".

The Indian Express article revealed that the two Election Commissioners -- Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi -- noted in writing that certain orders regarding voter registration, deletion of names, and voter list software were issued without the Election Commission's approval. Thackeray recalled that his party had openly questioned the functioning of the Election Commission (EC) and the "validation of everything we are saying can now be found in the Express report". He said even the government which came to power by manipulating the spineless EC should also resign.

In the social media post, Thackeray lauded both the Election Commissioners for standing firm and recording their objections on record. "Inspired by them, many other officials will surely begin to speak out now. And most importantly, my heartfelt congratulations to the Express Group. The journalism they have displayed is truly commendable, " Thackeray said.

"Towards the end of 2025, ahead of the municipal elections, whenever Opposition leaders in Maharashtra met the State Chief Electoral Officer and his team, it became glaringly obvious that they held no real authority. I have spoken about this publicly on multiple occasions. Call it suspicion, call it an allegation, but my party and I openly questioned the functioning of the Election Commission. The validation of everything we were saying can now be found in this report, " the MNS chief said on X.

Thackeray said that the idea that the Election Commission should be autonomous is now confined strictly to textbooks, pointing to the instance where two Election Commissioners within the ECI itself are "sidelined, kept in the dark, or have their views completely disregarded while decisions are implemented ".

"If the definition of "autonomy " means submission to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then it is autonomous; otherwise, it is not. The objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi are grave. It is impossible for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to deny them. Therefore, simply stating who the mastermind behind his actions was -- and is -- should be enough, " he said.

"I am intentionally sharing the link to The Indian Express article... Every Indian citizen should take the time to read it. You cast your vote hoping for change, but this report answers why you will never get that change.

'Power of local EROs stripped away'

The MNS chief said that though Sandhu and Joshi officially flagged concerns about the Election Commission's functioning 14 times in the last 10 months, the EC stubbornly pressed ahead with whatever it wanted to do.

"This creates a picture where Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was acting arbitrarily. But in reality, he was being made to take those decisions. Keep in mind, these objections span a 14-month period. Gyanesh Kumar was appointed in February 2025, which means right from the moment he assumed office, he began pleasing his bosses," the MNS chief said.

"In 'Form 6' (SIR), applicants were asked whether their or their family's name was present in the previous SIR. The two commissioners argued that the Commission lacks the authority to ask this without a legislative amendment to the law," Thackeray said, adding that the power of local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) was completely stripped away, virtually removing their authority to make changes to voter lists.

'Everyone has bent the knee'

"In Goa, local officials verified documents and found 97 individuals eligible; however, the software lacked a timely provision to re-include their names. As a result, their names were missing from the final list. If an official deems a voter eligible, but they are excluded due to computer software, who is responsible?" he asked.

"In West Bengal, who authorised appeals to be filed on behalf of the Commission against voters added by local officials?" he asked, referring to the 16.10 lakh appeals filed in the state.

"It means voter lists were manipulated at will, and no authority was left with local Electoral Registration Officers or the states. When the other Election Commissioners were not even consulted, what can be said about the rest? Since Gyanesh Kumar became Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025, Assembly elections were held in Bihar, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal. In Maharashtra, municipal and other local body elections took place. We all saw those results, and during the local body polls in Maharashtra, we witnessed firsthand how the State Election Commission kept looking towards Delhi for cues -- and we suffered the consequences,"""" he said, pointing to the "match-fixing " that was underway. The MNS leader said that though every opposition party was raising this issue, it has now been proven with evidence.

"There is no alternative now to Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, and the authority pulling his strings must also be investigated. Of course, who will conduct such an inquiry remains a question, as everyone has bent the knee. But an investigation must happen."

He called for greater unity and strength among Opposition parties, as the primary battle is against the functioning of the Election Commission.

'Next stage of this fight is against EVMs'

"It is now clear how the BJP won elections by misusing the Commission to manipulate SIRs and voter lists. The next stage of this fight is against EVMs. An un-autonomous Election Commission and EVMs are the two weapons of this BJP government. All opposition parties must now launch a mass movement demanding that elections be conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs,"""" he said.Thackeray said the fact that there was no public celebration anywhere on the streets after the election of a government claiming a landslide majority says it all.

"This is precisely what I have been saying all along. Therefore, the ultimate truth that everyone must realise is this: only if the Election Commission becomes truly autonomous can those in power be brought down to reality. Otherwise, this fight is endless,"""" he said.