The announcement of Maharashtra’s local body election results has been pushed back to December 21, a shift from the original December 3 date. This postponement is a direct consequence of an order from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, aimed at ensuring a fairer electoral process.
The High Court’s division bench, including Justices Anil S. Kilor and Rajneesh R. Vyas, expressed apprehension that announcing results piecemeal could significantly impact subsequent voting phases. This judicial intervention arose from petitions lodged by various municipal wards, notably in Warora and Gondia, contesting the Election Commission’s strategy of separate counting and result declarations for different phases.
Central to the petitioners’ plea was the demand for a simultaneous announcement of all results within each municipal council. Voting for Nagar Panchayats and Parishads concluded on Tuesday. Under the revised schedule mandated by the court, the counting for these elections will now take place on December 21, aligning with the results of other local body polls scheduled for December 20.
The opposition has seized upon the election process to question its fairness. Congress leader Nana Patole alleged that the Election Commission was actively eroding democratic norms. He challenged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to pursue impeachment against the commission, stating that the Congress would offer its full support. Patole specifically referenced the Maharashtra local body elections as a stark illustration of these alleged democratic breaches.
Echoing these concerns, Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal detailed instances of administrative mismanagement and procedural irregularities. He asserted that the Election Commission appeared to be acting under the Chief Minister’s influence, citing delays in voting and counting as proof of bias. Sapkal noted that an estimated 25,000 complaints may have been filed statewide, arguing that the election had severely undermined democratic principles.