What happened to Kejriwal could to Nitish, Chandrababu too: Aaditya Thackeray

In Delhi visiting LoP Rahul Gandhi and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP — both INDIA bloc allies — Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray reiterated people’s worries over voter fraud and EVM manipulation, claiming that Maharashtra’s experience underlines that India’s electoral process is compromised.

He accused the BJP of systematically dismantling regional parties, warning that what happened to the Shiv Sena (UBT), Arvind Kejriwal and the Congress could soon befall Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), the RJD and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Thackeray questioned the integrity of Indian elections now, citing irregularities in voter registration and concerns over EVMs.

“Today, we don’t even know where our vote is going. Voter fraud and EVM manipulation have cast serious doubts over our electoral system. Are elections in India truly free and fair any more? We think we are living in a democracy, but it is no longer a democracy.”

Thackeray accused the BJP of orchestrating a larger plan to erode democracy, stating that regional parties face an existential threat.

"What happened with us, Kejriwal and the Congress could happen to Nitish-ji, RJD and Chandrababu Naidu next. The BJP’s dream is to break and eliminate every regional party just as they want to erase democracy from this country,” he said.

While Thackeray’s meeting with Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day and then Aam Aadmi Party convenor Kejriwal raised eyebrows about inter-party alliances and the health of the INDIA bloc (the AAP and the Congress chose to fight against each other — and fight they did!), Thackeray refused to be drawn out and waxed philosophical instead: “Government come and go, friendships remain.”

Speaking specifically about the INDIA Bloc’s strategy, Thackeray emphasised the alliance’s collective leadership and its focus on countering the BJP's electoral machinery.

“INDIA Bloc has joint leadership. This is not a fight of egos or personal ambitions, but a fight for the country’s future,” he said.

However, the opposition alliance faces significant challenges, especially after its disappointing performances in the Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi assembly elections, which have raised doubts about its ability to take on the BJP in 2029.

On growing concerns over electoral integrity, however, all Opposition party leaders have largely sung the same tune.

Rahul Gandhi too recently questioned the suspicious voter list discrepancies in Maharashtra, in a joint press conference with the NCP–Sharadchandra Pawar's Supriya Sule and UBT's Sanjay Raut. (Raut was present with Thackeray at the Delhi media interaction today, alongside Priyanka Chaturvedi).

At that joint conference, Gandhi had pointed out that 39 lakh new voters were added between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections — a staggering increase in just five months, more than the entire prior four years. But there was more...

"How can the number of registered voters exceed Maharashtra’s total adult population?" Rahul Gandhi had questioned.