Maharashtra’s State Election Commission (SEC) has confirmed polling on December 2 for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, with results scheduled for December 3. The announcement arrives at a time when the opposition, particularly the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has voiced strong objections regarding alleged irregularities in the state’s voter rolls. Leaders such as Sanjay Raut and Raj Thackeray have argued that the lists contain numerous duplicate and fraudulent entries.
Opposition parties urged the SEC to delay the elections until the voter database is fully verified and corrected. They further accused the commission of favoritism toward the ruling Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP. In response, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare stated that a new system has been implemented to address concerns about duplicate voters. Potentially duplicated entries will be marked with a distinctive symbol, and individuals flagged in this manner will be contacted to confirm their designated polling booth.
Waghmare noted that any flagged voter who does not respond before election day but appears at a polling station will face strict verification. Such voters will be required to sign a written declaration confirming they have not voted elsewhere before being allowed to cast a ballot. He also mentioned that the SEC is awaiting feedback from the Election Commission of India regarding the opposition’s objections.
The decision has sparked reactions from both sides of the political spectrum. Cabinet Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed the opposition’s criticism as an attempt to avoid defeat. He highlighted that the same voter list was used in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the MVA secured 31 out of 48 seats. BJP leader Subhash Deshmukh echoed this view, asserting that the opposition was seeking an excuse to postpone elections due to fear of losing.
Meanwhile, MVA leaders reiterated their concerns. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said the opposition is prepared for the polls but maintained that voter list clarity remains lacking. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Anil Deshmukh accused the SEC of acting under pressure from the ruling alliance, while Congress leader Nana Patole claimed public dissatisfaction with the Mahayuti government would benefit the opposition at the polls.
