Voting for 24 Nagar Parishads and 154 wards in 76 other Nagar Panchayats to be held on Dec 20: Maha SEC

Mumbai, Dec 1 (IANS) Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday announced a revised poll process for 24 nagar parishads, including their presidents and 154 wards in the other 76 nagar parishads and nagar panchayats, and accordingly, the elections will now be held on December 20 and counting on December 21. 

The SEC decided to reschedule these polls in the cases of appeals filed in the District Court against the decision of the Returning Officer in elections to the nagar parishads and Nage panchayats.

However, the SEC in a release clarified that the polling for the other nagar parishads and nagar panchayats will he held on December 2 as per the scheduled poll programme announced earlier.

“The SEC had announced the schedule for the general elections of 246 Municipal Councils and 42 Nagar Panchayats in the state on November 4. Now, since the decision of the appeal cases against the decision of the Returning Officer will be taken on or after November 23, the election process will be implemented as per the revised schedule in the relevant places,” it said.

The SEC said that the election process will be implemented as per the revised schedule for the entire area of the nagar parishads and nagar panchayats where the decision of the appeals regarding the post of president has come late.

“There is a provision in the law to hold simultaneous elections for the posts of members along with the post of president. However, in places where there is an appeal for the post of member, the revised election program will be implemented only for that place,” it said.

With Monday’s announcement, voting in 10 per cent of nagar parishads and nagar panchayats remains postponed.

The SEC further said that, as per the revised schedule for the phases after the appeal period, nomination papers can now be withdrawn till 3 pm on December 10. The final list of candidates contesting the election and allocation of election symbols will be done on December 11. Polling will be held on December 20 and counting on December 21.

All political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress, had raised objections over the SEC decision to postpone elections just 48 hours before the voting.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed displeasure with the decision, saying he disagrees with the SEC and alleged that the prevalent acts have been misinterpreted.

“I have no idea which act the state election commission is following and who is advising them. As far as my study goes and my knowledge of election acts goes and my interaction with other lawyers are concerned, they all told me that elections cannot be postponed like this,” he said, while speaking to journalists in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

He added that he disagrees with the decision.

Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan wrote to the SEC demanding that the decision be changed, terming it improper. The opposition Congress, too, slammed the SEC for the last-minute changes, adding that it has failed to conduct the elections in a transparent and free manner.

“It seems it is not capable of conducting the elections,” said Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal.

The SEC has completed the preparations for the first phase of Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats elections, being held on December 2, and the counting to take place on December 3.

The police have deployed security personnel to ensure smooth polling. In some districts, rural police have initiated 24x7 drone patrolling, and additional forces will be stationed at sensitive polling centres. A holiday has been declared on December 2.

Voters are banned from taking mobile phones inside the polling centre. A room for depositing mobile phones will be provided, where possible, within the polling centre building but outside the actual polling area.

A total of 288 Election Returning Officers and 288 Assistant Election Returning Officers have been appointed for these elections. Additionally, 66,775 election officers and employees have been deployed.

Meanwhile, the local body polls have been marred by controversies from the beginning. In May, the Supreme Court asked the SEC to complete the process of local body polls before January 31, 2026. The state has not witnessed local body polls, for nagar parishads, nagar panchayats, zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and municipal corporations for the last five to three years due to the row over the OBC reservation.

On November 4, the SEC announced the poll process for the municipal council and municipal panchayat. Before this, the opposition parties had raised objections alleging a faulty voters’ list and widespread irregularities. Several petitioners approached the Supreme Court, alleging crossing of 50 per cent political reservation in various local bodies that delayed the announcement of Zilla Parishad and Municipal Corporation polls.

Last week, even though the apex court gave its go-ahead to the polls, the result of local bodies with more than 50 per cent political reservation (nagar parishads and nagar panchayats) will be subject to the future verdict of the court in this case.

Additionally, the SEC is unlikely to proceed with the election in Zilla Parishad and panchayat samitis where the said limit is crossed, as the court has not given any directions regarding the same.

--IANS

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