In anticipation of the upcoming Maharashtra local body polls, a united front of opposition parties met with state election officials on Tuesday to voice concerns regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral process. The delegation, comprised of prominent leaders including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray, raised issues specifically about discrepancies in the voters' list.

The opposition delegation met with Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam and submitted a memorandum to State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare at Mantralaya, the state secretariat. Leaders from the CPI, CPI (M), Peasants and Workers Party, and Samajwadi Party were also part of the delegation.

The primary concern raised by the opposition parties was the integrity of the voters' list. They alleged duplication of names and other anomalies that could potentially undermine the fairness of the elections. Jayant Patil, an NCP (SP) leader, pointed out instances of significant irregularities, such as one house having 170 voters registered. The opposition leaders collectively demanded that these anomalies be rectified before the local body polls are held.

In addition to voters' list irregularities, the opposition also questioned the State Election Commission's decision to not use VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines in the local body polls. They argued that if the Election Commission could implement a special intensive revision of electoral rolls (SIR) in Bihar before the Assembly elections, a similar measure should be possible in Maharashtra. They further questioned the rationale behind not using VVPAT machines, especially after the state had invested thousands of crores in them. The opposition has also asked the poll body to consider using VVPAT machines in the Mumbai elections, but if that is not possible, they are demanding that the election in Mumbai be held on ballot papers.

The meetings on Tuesday are expected to continue on Wednesday, with a joint meeting scheduled between the opposition leaders, the CEO, and the SEC. This follow-up meeting aims to facilitate further discussion and hopefully produce resolutions to the concerns raised.

Notably, the convergence of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray has sparked conversations about potential alliances for the upcoming elections. While Raj Thackeray's MNS is not currently part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition alliance, his presence at the meeting suggests a possible shift in political dynamics.

In response to the opposition's meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde quipped that the opposition bloc is not Maha Vikas Aghadi but a "Maha Confused Aghadi". Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut mentioned that a joint press conference was initially planned after the meeting but would be held later due to the ongoing discussions.