The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced a statewide protest on Monday targeting alleged corruption within the former Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
The party has called for demonstrations to be held at 12 noon outside all district collector offices across Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray will spearhead the main protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, accompanied by senior party leaders. Additionally, protests will take place outside several government offices within Mumbai.
In an official statement, Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the Shinde administration of widespread graft, highlighting specific allegations against former ministers. Sanjay Rathod is implicated in a ₹60 crore scam, Dhananjay Munde in irregularities involving ₹1,500 crore in procurement, and Manikrao Kokate in losses related to oilseed procurement. The party also criticized the current Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis—who was then deputy CM—for allegedly ignoring multiple complaints regarding corruption.
The protests aim to expose what the party calls “corrupt and anti-people” policies, emphasizing that instead of protecting public funds, ministers are enriching themselves. The demonstrations also seek to raise public awareness about the misuse of taxpayer money.
This agitation follows recent remarks by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who revealed that he was approached by two individuals before the Assembly elections promising to secure 160 seats in the state legislature. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut supported Pawar’s claims, adding that the same persons had also approached Uddhav Thackeray prior to both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Pawar’s disclosure came shortly after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in Delhi, accusing the Election Commission of irregularities in several state polls and stating he would present evidence to support his claims. Pawar described Gandhi’s allegations as serious and called for a thorough investigation, demanding accountability from the Election Commission rather than the BJP.