‘Transparent polls keep democracy alive’: Maha Oppn slams SEC for not addressing duplicate voters

Mumbai, Nov 4 Opposition parties on Tuesday strongly criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission’s (SEC) move to announce elections to the 246 nagar parishads and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2 without rectifying the errors relating to duplicate and bogus voters in the electoral rolls.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who had joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi to organise a morcha on November 1 demanding the postponement of local body polls for cleaning the voters’ list, said that, watching the State Election Commission's press conference, he is 100 per cent convinced that the Election Commission being autonomous exists only in the Constitution.

“It's nothing but a puppet in the hands of those in power,” the firebrand Thackrey said.

He added that from duplicate voter registrations to the numerous irregularities in the voter lists, if the Election Commission can't answer even a single question about all this, then what's the point of the commission?

“You’ve already shrugged off your responsibility long ago, and now you're going to deny accountability too?” he asked.

He also appealed to the people, “The people of Maharashtra, please do watch the SEC press conference. You will understand exactly where the blatant insult to your vote is coming from.”

NCP(SP) legislator Rohit Pawar said that the SEC should have held clean elections with a clean list, but claimed that there was pressure on the poll panel.

“What will be done with the voters who have been registered twice? There is no answer to this question; the SEC has given the answer that they will be given double stars. When you say that you will give double or 3 stars… that means the SEC knows that the names are duplicates. Will they announce the list of those whose names are doubled or more?” he said

He also asked the election body to announce the list in the next two to three days.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesman, Sachin Sawant, said that the political parties are important components in democracy, adding that the election process cannot be completed without political parties.

“When all opposition parties come together and demand to purify the voter list, it is the duty of the Election Commission to take steps in that regard. Now, the ruling party is also saying the same thing. The Chief Minister is saying the same, and the opposition is saying that the voter list should be cancelled. BJP leaders also said the same. So, what is the problem now?” he said.

Shiv Sena UBT leader and former leader of opposition Ambadas Danve claimed that although the SEC has announced a schedule for 246 nagar parishad and 42 nagar panchayat elections, it did not take into account the “feelings of the people.”

“The disclosure made by the SEC regarding duplicate voters is not justified. If names are being starred, and if you know the duplicate names, filter them out. There is no need to ask the voter in this; his name should be there where the voter lives, and where there is no name, the name should be filtered out,” he remarked.

NCP SP member of Lok Sabha Nilesh Lanke said that Democracy will remain alive only if elections are held transparently.

“There are thousands of duplicate voters in the voting list. We demand to make the voting list be made transparent first and then hold elections. However, elections have been declared. We will present this failure of the government to the voters, and we will benefit from it,” he added.

Meanwhile, ruling Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Gaikwad expressed serious displeasure over the SEC’s statement with regard to duplicate voters.

“The SEC has announced the elections, but we are not satisfied with the decision taken regarding duplicate voters. In Buldhana alone, thousands of voters have duplicate names. So, is the poll panel going to take affidavits from lakhs of voters in the state? It would have been better if these names had been deleted. What would have happened if the elections had been held ten days late?” he said.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor