Opposition Raises Concerns Over SEC’s Election Preparations

Opposition parties in Pune have expressed strong criticism of the State Election Commission (SEC) for proceeding with elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar parishads on December 2, 2023, despite reported issues with the electoral rolls. Leaders from parties including the Congress and the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have alleged that discrepancies in the voters’ list remain unaddressed, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process.

Harshwardhan Sapkal, president of the State Congress, emphasized the SEC’s constitutional obligation to uphold fair elections. He stated, “Unfortunately, the SEC appears to be acting under government influence. Despite receiving substantial evidence from opposition parties highlighting discrepancies in the voters’ list, the SEC failed to correct them. Instead, it proceeded with the polls, seemingly under pressure from the government.”

In a recent public rally in Mumbai, senior MVA politicians and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray protested against the flawed electoral rolls, urging the SEC to postpone the elections until the lists could be rectified. Former state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and MVA member Jayant Patil echoed these concerns, stating, “The SEC cannot shirk its responsibility to fix the electoral rolls. Its refusal to act raises serious concerns about whether it is functioning independently or merely following government directives.”

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also joined the chorus of dissent. Omraje Nimbalkar, a Dharashiv MP aligned with the party, noted that even BJP minister Ashish Shelar acknowledged discrepancies in the voters’ list. He added, “The SEC could have easily deferred the polls to correct these issues. Since the polls had already been delayed by three to four years, waiting a few more months to ensure accurate voter rolls wouldn’t have made a significant difference.”

In response to the allegations from the MVA, members of the Mahayuti coalition dismissed the claims as an attempt to mislead the public in anticipation of electoral defeat. Senior BJP politician and cabinet minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule defended the SEC’s actions, stating, “The voters’ lists used for the Lok Sabha election were also used for the assembly poll, and now the same lists are being used for the civic body elections. The opposition raised no objections during the Lok Sabha polls, where they secured more seats. But following their poor performance in the assembly polls, they are now fabricating a narrative against the government and spreading misinformation to justify their loss.”

Uday Samant, another cabinet minister and Shiv Sena member, added, “I don’t wish to comment extensively on the matter, but once the results are declared on December 2, the entire state will witness a clean sweep by Mahayuti in the civic body elections. We have the people’s support across Maharashtra.”

As the elections draw closer, the controversy surrounding the electoral rolls highlights the ongoing tensions between the ruling coalition and the opposition. With claims of government influence and calls for electoral integrity, the situation remains fluid as both sides prepare for what promises to be a contentious electoral battle.