Maharashtra Opposition leaders meet state CEO over poll 'irregularities,' seek voter
Maharashtra Opposition leaders meet state CEO over poll 'irregularities,' seek voter list rectification
M.U.H
15/10/202518
A delegation of top leaders from the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, on Tuesday met Maharashtra's chief electoral officer (CEO) to flag alleged irregularities in the poll process, including the voters' list.
The Opposition leaders, including NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and representatives of Congress, Left parties, Peasants and Workers Party and Samajwadi Party met CEO S Chockalingam at the Mantralaya (state secretariat).
The leaders demanded the rectification of anomalies in the voters' list before the local body polls.
They also demanded the use of VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) in the local body polls in Maharashtra, likely to be held later this year or early next year.
"We met S Chokhalingam to show him the irregularities in the voters' list in different parts of the state. It is now evident that there are a lot of irregularities and it can be seen in various constituencies," NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who was part of the delegation, was quoted as saying by PTI.
If this voters' list is frozen and the State Election Commission holds polls, then the same "mess" will continue tomorrow in the local body elections, he claimed.
"We have demanded that the SEC and the state CEO hold a meeting with us together and listen to our concerns. They have assured us that both will come together and hear our grievance," he added.
Patil claimed there is duplication of several names in the voters' list.
In another case, one house has 170 voters, he said, pointing out the irregularities.
Before holding the local body polls, the anomalies in the voters' list should be rectified, Patil said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the Opposition leaders were supposed to hold a joint press conference after the meeting, reported PTI.
But it would be held after the discussions, which remained incomplete.
The discussions will continue on Wednesday as the Election Commission "needs some more time," he said.
The Rajya Sabha member said the ruling BJP, too, should have been part of the meeting because it is the need of the hour that the poll body holds elections in a free and fair manner.
"The BJP is making similar demands in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Even the BJP should have been here," Raut said.
The elections should be held transparently and according to the Constitution, he said.
Another delegation, comprising Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Ambadas Danve and (Lok Sabha MP) Arvind Sawant, met State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare with similar demands.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde took a dig at the Opposition, calling the alliance "Maha Confused Aghadi."
