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Big Update from SEC: Civic Body Polls to Be Held in Sequential Phases After Diwali Celebrations
- by Webdesk
- 06 Aug 2025
Source: The Times Of India
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Tuesday announced that local body elections in Maharashtra will be held in multiple phases post-Diwali or by the end of October. He also clarified that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will not be used during these elections.
Waghmare shared these details during his visit to Nashik, where he was reviewing the readiness of local administrative bodies for the upcoming civic elections. Addressing the media after a review meeting, he explained that conducting elections for all local self-government bodies — including municipal corporations, zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and municipal councils — at the same time is not practical. The shortage of manpower and logistical limitations make a simultaneous election process unfeasible. Therefore, the State Election Commission has decided to hold the elections in a phased manner. Voting for municipal corporations, zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and municipal councils will take place after Diwali. However, Waghmare mentioned that the exact order or sequence of these elections has yet to be finalized.
Waghmare further elaborated on the ward delimitation process, which is currently underway. He stated that the delimitation of wards for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis will be completed by the end of this month. The divisional commissioners will oversee the hearings to consider any suggestions and objections raised by voters regarding the ward boundaries. Meanwhile, for municipal councils and municipal corporations, the deadline for completing the ward delimitation is set for September 30 and October 10, respectively. The election commission is closely monitoring the progress to ensure timely completion of the process.
In response to a question about OBC reservations, Waghmare said the quota allocation will be decided through a lottery-based draw. This draw will determine the wards that will be reserved for candidates from Other Backward Classes in accordance with the approved guidelines.
Regarding the use of VVPATs, Waghmare emphasized that implementing them in local elections, particularly under the four-member ward system, would be time-consuming and logistically challenging. He explained that managing long queues at polling booths would be difficult if VVPATs were used. Hence, the decision has been taken not to employ VVPATs for these civic elections.
He also provided an update on the voting equipment required for the upcoming polls. The State Election Commission currently has around 62,000 ballot units and control units in stock. However, with the scale of the upcoming elections, this is not sufficient. To address the shortfall, the SEC has placed an order with the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) for an additional 50,000 control units and 100,000 ballot units, which are expected to arrive by the end of October.
Additionally, the SEC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission to procure 25,000 control units and 75,000 ballot units to support the electoral process in Maharashtra. With these steps, the SEC aims to ensure a smooth and transparent civic election process across the state in the coming months.
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