Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) directs women’s wing to lead voter list verification drive

by Webdesk
20 Sep 2025

Mumbai: With continuous accusations of “vote theft” dominating political discussions, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to take proactive steps before the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Party leadership has entrusted its women’s wing with the crucial responsibility of scrutinizing and verifying the voter lists across all 227 municipal constituencies.

According to a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary, the women’s wing was deliberately chosen for this task because of its grassroots-level access to homes in every neighborhood of Mumbai. Women party workers are believed to have stronger connections at the household level, enabling them to detect any discrepancies more effectively. Their task will be to check newly added names in the voter rolls within their respective booths and also to carefully verify whether names of Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters have been deliberately removed. Any suspicious patterns or manipulations are to be immediately reported to the party’s higher leadership.

This decision was formally announced during a review meeting led by party president Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed women functionaries and appreciated their past contributions. Thackeray emphasized that the victories Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured in past BMC elections owe a large share of credit to the relentless efforts of the women’s wing. He urged them to once again play a decisive role by preparing aggressively for the forthcoming civic polls.

During the meeting, Thackeray specifically referred to the alarming increase of 14.71 lakh new voters in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls following the November 2024 assembly elections, up until July 1. He asked the women cadre to keep a close watch on these newly added names and ensure their authenticity. “As women, you have direct entry into households. You know exactly who lives where and how many members are part of each family. This makes it easier for you to identify genuine voters and also expose any irregularities,” Thackeray told the gathering.

A functionary from the women’s wing shared that the leadership has strictly instructed them to double-check the voter lists ahead of the civic polls to prevent bogus voting. She explained that their job would not only be about confirming the presence of genuine voters but also about highlighting any instances where loyal Shiv Sena (UBT) voters’ names might have been excluded from the rolls without explanation.

The women’s wing is expected to launch this verification drive in October, coinciding with the release of the updated electoral rolls for local body elections during the first week of the month. The strategy has already been outlined: the voter lists will be distributed to each Shakha (local branch) of the party. Under each shakha, Shakha Pramukhs (branch heads) will assign responsibilities to Gat Pramukhs (group leaders), who will oversee verification booth-wise.

According to party insiders, every ward in Mumbai has an average of 50 gat pramukhs. Across the city, Shiv Sena (UBT) has mobilized over 10,000 gat pramukhs, ensuring that the exercise is both large-scale and comprehensive. These grassroots leaders, working under the supervision of shakha pramukhs, will physically go through each entry on the electoral roll to confirm its legitimacy.

The party believes this exercise is essential to safeguard its voter base, particularly since allegations of mass deletions and manipulations of voter names have gained momentum in recent months. Uddhav Thackeray reiterated that the only way to counter potential electoral fraud was to keep constant vigilance at the booth level.

Through this strategy, Shiv Sena (UBT) is attempting to blend organizational strength with community-level involvement, ensuring that every home and every voter is accounted for. The women’s wing has accepted the challenge with confidence, stating that they will not allow even a single irregularity to go unnoticed.

With the BMC elections fast approaching, this voter verification campaign is expected to be one of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s most ambitious pre-poll initiatives. By assigning this responsibility to its women’s wing, the party not only strengthens its election machinery but also reinforces the importance of women’s leadership within its organizational framework.

If executed successfully, this drive may help Shiv Sena (UBT) not only in preventing potential manipulation but also in consolidating its influence over Mumbai’s electorate, paving the way for a strong performance in the civic polls.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) directs women’s wing to lead voter list verification drive

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