Why the Thackerays are marching without party flags against Gyanesh Kumar’s ECI in Mumbai

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) marched against the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Mumbai on Sunday, led by cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Their demand was for ECI Chief Gyanesh Kumar to resign. Both leaders asked their supporters to carry only the tricolor instead of party flags, marking a departure from their usual protests.

The ECI is under scrutiny for its Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which has resulted in millions of voters being removed from the rolls in 30 states and Union Territories. The Opposition, including the Congress, has called this a "vote theft." Internal investigations have revealed that two ECI members objected to decisions without Kumar's knowledge, and the Commission has since issued nine decisions based on their objections.

While the impact of the agitation on the upcoming elections is uncertain, the Thackerays view the fight against the ECI as personal, as their father's name and symbol were stripped from the Sena during a split in 2022.