The Opposition events have demanded that the upcoming native physique elections in Maharashtra be carried out utilizing VVPAT machines to make sure transparency within the voting course of.
If the deployment of VVPAT machines isn't possible, the elections to rural and concrete civic our bodies ought to be held utilizing poll papers, Congress Legislature Social gathering (CLP) chief Vijay Wadettiwar had mentioned.
Elections to numerous native our bodies within the state, together with the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Company, are to be accomplished by January 2026.
The SEC in an announcement on Wednesday mentioned that apart from just a few exceptions, nearly all native physique elections within the state are carried out beneath a multi-member ward system.
The Technical Analysis Committee (TEC), comprising all State Election Commissions throughout the nation, is finding out the event of voting machines suitable with VVPAT attachments for such multi-member programs, it mentioned.The committee's remaining report is but to be submitted, and due to this fact, using VVPATs in native physique elections is presently not possible, the SEC mentioned.The availability for utilizing Digital Voting Machines (EVMs) in native physique elections was included within the respective acts and guidelines in 2005. Nevertheless, there isn't any authorized provision relating to using VVPATs, it mentioned.
The native physique polls in Maharashtra are carried out beneath provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Company Act, 1888, the Bombay Provincial Municipal Firms 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 mentioned.
It additional clarified that amending these acts or guidelines doesn't fall beneath its jurisdiction.
