Just one day before voting, the State Election Commission (SEC) suspended polls in several areas across Maharashtra, affecting elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats in 12 districts. The move has upset both the ruling party and the Opposition, and these polls will now be held on December 20. According to SEC sources, the decision taken is as per the rules.
Though the detailed reasons for the postponement have not been made clear, those in the SEC office cited legal cases, scrutiny of nominations, and the failure to follow the verification and symbol process as per the standard operating procedure as key reasons for deferring the polls.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed displeasure with the development. “The SEC is an autonomous body. But, how can the commission do such a thing and under which provision? I am unable to understand [this decision],” the CM stated.
Fadnavis further stated that last-minute changes to the poll schedule would affect candidates who have been campaigning for the past few weeks. “Not all, but where polls have been pushed ahead, many candidates will certainly be upset,” the CM said, adding that he believed the commission had misinterpreted the law.
Except for the 12 places where elections have been postponed, all others will vote on December 2, and counting will be done the day after. Meanwhile, the Opposition has also expressed displeasure at the move.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve termed these moves unfortunate. “The Election Commission is unable to understand basic things. This is putting candidates and voters through a lot of inconvenience,” Thorat said.
As both sides have openly expressed disappointment with the poll body’s decision, Fadnavis stated that his party will be making a written objection to the commission’s decision.
