State Election Commission seeks one lakh EVMs for local body polls
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Pune: The
State Election Commission
(SEC) will need nearly 1 lakh
electronic voting machines
(EVMs) to conduct the upcoming local body polls across Maharashtra, a senior election official told TOI on Thursday.
With elections due for 29 municipal corporations, 290 nagar parishads, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis, the SEC currently faces a shortfall of approximately 35,000 machines.
"We have about 65,000 ballots and control units with us. We would require about 1 lakh machines for conducting these elections," a senior SEC official said.
The SEC has directed urban and rural development departments to initiate the delimitation process, which will determine the exact number of EVMs needed. The state government must soon issue a notification regarding ward formation and the number of panels. "The decision on the number of wards rests with the state government and the notification by the local bodies is expected to give a clear picture," an official said.
Following the Supreme Court's recent directive to expedite the election process, SEC officials confirmed they would approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) to source additional machines from within the state.
"It would be better to use machines from within the state from the state chief electoral office rather than approach other states, as we are not sure whether machines from elsewhere would be suitable for local polls," the official said.
More than 1 lakh machines were used during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Unlike Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, local body polls don't require VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails), simplifying the logistical requirements.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh has ordered the SEC to notify elections within four weeks and complete the process within four months. The court also directed that OBC reservation must continue as it existed before the Banthia Commission report, which had recommended 27% OBC quota in local body polls.
Maharashtra's local body elections have been stalled since 2022 due to legal disputes surrounding
OBC reservations
.
The SC, in its interim order, directed the SEC to notify elections within four weeks and complete the process in four months, unless an extension was sought through the court.
Pune: The State Election Commission (SEC) will need nearly 1 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) to conduct the upcoming local body polls across Maharashtra, a senior election official told TOI on Thursday.
With elections due for 29 municipal corporations, 290 nagar parishads, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis, the SEC currently faces a shortfall of approximately 35,000 machines.
"We have about 65,000 ballots and control units with us. We would require about 1 lakh machines for conducting these elections," a senior SEC official said.
The SEC has directed urban and rural development departments to initiate the delimitation process, which will determine the exact number of EVMs needed.
The state government must soon issue a notification regarding ward formation and the number of panels. "The decision on the number of wards rests with the state government and the notification by the local bodies is expected to give a clear picture," an official said.
Following the Supreme Court's recent directive to expedite the election process, SEC officials confirmed they would approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) to source additional machines from within the state.
"It would be better to use machines from within the state from the state chief electoral office rather than approach other states, as we are not sure whether machines from elsewhere would be suitable for local polls," the official said. More than 1 lakh machines were used during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Unlike Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, local body polls don't require VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails), simplifying the logistical requirements.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh has ordered the SEC to notify elections within four weeks and complete the process within four months. The court also directed that OBC reservation must continue as it existed before the Banthia Commission report, which had recommended 27% OBC quota in local body polls.
Maharashtra's local body elections have been stalled since 2022 due to legal disputes surrounding OBC reservations.
The SC, in its interim order, directed the SEC to notify elections within four weeks and complete the process in four months, unless an extension was sought through the court.
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