Lokmat News Network Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Speculations suggest that the municipal corporation elections are likely to be held in the second week of January. In view of this, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) administration has begun extensive preparations. A tender worth ₹2 crore has been floated for setting up temporary sheds outside polling stations. Besides, work on preparing prabhag-wise voter lists is being carried out on a war footing.
According to the directions of the State Election Commission (SEC), the civic body has already finalised the prabhag structure. The draw for reservation of prabhag will be conducted on November 11, and all political parties and aspiring candidates are eagerly awaiting it. The municipal corporation’s election branch has started preparations for the draw, though the venue and time are yet to be announced. An official announcement is expected soon.
Sources informed that while the tender for sheds outside polling booths has been released, the election branch has not yet provided the list of materials required to the store section. Hence, the tender for material procurement has not been issued yet but is likely to be released in the coming days. A campaign for repairing polling stations is also expected to begin soon, with a tender worth ₹2–3 crore anticipated for the same. Officials mentioned that the election process will require substantial funding, and the accounts section has begun planning accordingly.
Work on voter lists underway
Staff were appointed for the preparation of voter lists before Diwali. For the past few days, employees have been visiting ward areas to verify the lists. Prabhag-wise voter lists will be published, allowing political representatives to raise objections before the final version is released. Officials clarified that even if a voter’s name appears more than once in different locations, the municipal corporation will not delete those entries, as the responsibility for deletion lies with the revenue department, not the civic body.
Routine work affected
Since officials and employees from nearly every department have been assigned election duties, regular administrative work has been significantly affected. Many employees remain occupied with election-related tasks throughout the day, leading to a noticeable slowdown in routine office functioning.