Ambernath: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) held a major protest in Ambarnath on October 5, alleging discrepancies in electoral rolls, raising concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanding greater transparency in the election process.

The protest saw participation from leaders and workers of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress and allied parties. Demonstrators raised slogans such as “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” and “Samvidhan Bachao, Lokshahi Bachao”, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The rally began from the Mahatma Gandhi School grounds in Ambarnath West and later moved towards the Kalyan–Karjat Highway. Protesters alleged that genuine voters were being removed from electoral rolls and questioned the reliability of EVMs. They demanded that future elections be conducted using paper ballots.

On reaching the highway, protesters staged a rasta roko, temporarily disrupting traffic while raising slogans against the Central Government and Election Commission. Some demonstrators also protested by striking photographs of Gyanesh Kumar with footwear.

The protesters, however, cleared the road when an ambulance approached. Organisers said, “The demonstration was aimed at protecting democracy and the Constitution and was not intended to inconvenience citizens.” Police deployed additional security personnel across Ambarnath to maintain law and order.