The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has said there is no provision in the laws or rules governing local body elections for the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, reported news agency PTI.
The Opposition parties have demanded that the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra be conducted using VVPAT machines to ensure transparency in the voting process.
If the deployment of VVPAT machines is not feasible, the elections to rural and urban civic bodies should be held using ballot papers, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Wadettiwar had said, reported PTI.
Elections to various local bodies in the state, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are to be completed by January 2026.
The SEC in a statement on Wednesday said that except for a few exceptions, almost all local body elections in the state are conducted under a multi-member ward system.
The Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), comprising all State Election Commissions across the country, is studying the development of voting machines compatible with VVPAT attachments for such multi-member systems, it said.
The committee`s final report is yet to be submitted, and therefore, the use of VVPATs in local body elections is currently not feasible, the SEC said, reported PTI.
The provision for using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in local body elections was incorporated in the respective acts and rules in 2005. However, there is no legal provision regarding the use of VVPATs, it said, reported PTI.
The local body polls in Maharashtra are conducted under provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965, the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, and the Mumbai Village Panchayats Act, 1958, the SEC said, reported PTI.
It further clarified that amending these acts or rules does not fall under its jurisdiction.
Lottery for BMC ward reservations on Nov 11: Maharashtra SEC
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has said that the lottery to determine ward reservations for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will be held on November 11, reported PTI.
In the schedule released late on Wednesday, the poll body said the lottery result will be submitted to the SEC for approval.
Elections to 29 civic bodies in the state, including the cash-rich 227-member BMC, are to be completed by January 2026.
Citizens will be allowed to submit objections and suggestions to the ward reservations between November 14 and 20. The BMC commissioner will hear the objections and suggestions received between November 21 and 27 and take the final decision.
The final list of ward reservations will be published on November 28, the SEC said, reported PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)
