Bitter marketing campaign on January fifteenth Maharashtra native physique elections are over It is as damning because the state election fee’s uncommon determination to permit door-to-door canvassing throughout a 48-hour “quiet interval” earlier than voting, a retreat from a 13-year-old order.
Opposition events questioned the SEC’s determination, alleging a number of discrepancies within the polls, together with the variety of wards gained unopposed and the nomination course of, alleging that it allowed the ruling get together to supply money and different incentives to voters within the last hours.
The SEC had beforehand introduced that the BMC ballot marketing campaign would finish as standard at 5:30 p.m. on January 13, two days earlier than election day. However the SEC has since allowed candidates to proceed going door-to-door, and can now have the ability to take action even in the course of the Jan. 15 vote, when candidates are solely prohibited from “displaying get together colours.”
Requested concerning the transfer at a press convention, state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare mentioned campaigning stays prohibited, citing a February 2012 SEC order that allowed door-to-door canvassing after campaigning ended.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray criticized the SEC and mentioned, “In all earlier elections, there was a spot after the official campaigning ended. Historically, no campaigning takes place the day earlier than voting. This custom has been damaged. The SEC is functioning in keeping with the needs of the federal government… Why is that this permission being given now?”
Mr. Thackeray requested Mr. Waghmare to handle his issues on the difficulty and appealed to all MNS MPs to stay “vigilant” of their respective areas to forestall “distribution of cash”.
Opposition events’ claims about extension of the election interval come within the backdrop of studies of scuffles amongst political staff and circulation of video clips allegedly exhibiting funds being distributed in varied components of Maharashtra together with Vasai, Dombivli, Thane, Chembur, Panvel, Akola, Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad in Mumbai.
Requested about these at a press convention, Waghmare mentioned the SEC would take motion as soon as a grievance is filed.
Opposition events have additionally expressed concern concerning the introduction of machines referred to as “PADUs” (print help show items), that are used within the occasion that the machine that shows the vote rely “fails” on counting day. The opposition requested why this was not talked about or demonstrated about it.
“Why was no info supplied earlier about connecting the brand new machine to the EVM?” requested Thackeray, elevating the potential for “tampering”. “What sort of anarchy is that this? Is that this democracy?” he mentioned, including that Shiv Sena Get together (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who’s contesting elections in alliance with MNS, had written to the SEC on this regard.
BMC mentioned that PADU machines won’t be used indiscriminately however solely in distinctive or emergency circumstances. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani mentioned these machines are only a backup and will likely be utilized in case the machines all of a sudden cease working or there’s any technical downside.
On Wednesday night, the SEC introduced that 140 PADUs have been supplied to the BMC and these will likely be used solely in distinctive circumstances within the presence of engineers from Bharat Electronics, which manufactures PADUs for the Election Fee of India.
The SEC additionally directed the BMC to exhibit the PADU to representatives of political events and claimed that the identical was accomplished at a press convention on Tuesday.
