AAP raises doubts over civic polls credibility, wants multi-member ward plan scrapped

Indian Express

3 days ago

THE Aam Aadmi Party which has already strongly objected to recent decision of the Maharashtra State Election Commission to conduct the upcoming local body elections without the use of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), today raised a serious concerns regarding the transparency, fairness and credibility of the electoral process. At the same time, the AAP demanded that multi-member ward plan should not be implemented in civic elections.
'As held in multiple judgments of the Supreme Court of India, free and fair elections form part of the basic structure of the Constitution. The use of VVPAT is an essential safeguard that enables verification of votes cast through electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ensures public confidence in the electoral process,' Vijay Kumbar, vice-president of AAP, Maharashtra unit, said in a letter to State Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Monday.
In the letter, Kumbhar said, ' Without VVPAT, voters lose the ability to verify their vote, which denies them their fundamental right to ensure that their vote has been correctly recorded. In several election disputes (including Mohit Kumar vs. Kuldeep Singh and related cases), the honourable courts have repeatedly emphasised the necessity of procedural safeguards to maintain electoral integrity. Conducting elections without VVPAT will create grounds for widespread challenges and litigation, delaying the democratic process.'
AAP said the Election Commission of India (ECI) has itself mandated VVPAT use in all Parliamentary and Assembly elections. 'Excluding it from local body elections is discriminatory and contrary to established democratic norms. The Supreme Court has, on multiple occasions, emphasized the mandatory nature of transparency-enhancing mechanisms such as VVPAT.
'In Subramanian Swamy vs. Election Commission of India (2013), the Court held that VVPAT is an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections and directed its phased introduction to ensure voter confidence. In subsequent cases, including those in 2019 and 2024, the court reiterated that VVPAT verification is an essential feature for ensuring the credibility of electronic voting. Thus, the Supreme Court's clear intention has been to make VVPAT mandatory in all elections wherever EVMs are used, as it ensures accuracy, transparency, and verifiability. The Mohit Kumar vs. Kuldeep Singh case further illustrates the risk of relying solely on electronic data. An error in tallying nearly altered the democratic mandate. The court's supervised recount (with videography) underscores the absolute need for verifiable records like VVPAT to resolve disputes credibly,' the AAP said.
Kumbhar said, 'We request the State Election Commission to reconsider the continuation of multi- member wards in local body elections. The Parliament of India, through the Two-Member Constituencies (Abolition) Act, 1961, abolished two-member constituencies in Parliamentary and State Legislative elections. The Election Commission of India strongly supported this reform, noting that multi-member constituencies created administrative complications, diluted accountability, and often resulted in unequal or distorted representation. The reasons behind the 1961 abolition are directly applicable to local body elections today: Administrative Complexity – Larger constituencies made campaigning and election management difficult. Electoral Inequity – In some cases, reserved category candidates won both seats, excluding others and creating imbalance.'
Kumbhar said single-member constituencies ensured clearer accountability and prominence for elected representatives. Voter Convenience – Voting became simpler and more transparent when each voter elected only one representative.'These same issues are now reflected in multi-member wards at the municipal and panchayat levels, where accountability is diluted, campaign costs increase, and voters face confusion. The abolition of two-member constituencies was hailed by both Parliament and the Election Commission as a vital democratic reform. Applying the same principle to local body elections would strengthen grassroots democracy by ensuring clear accountability, equitable representation, and simpler administration.'
Stating that conducting elections with VVPAT and under a single-ward system will not cause any delay to the ongoing election process, Kumbhar said, 'VVPAT machines are already available and in routine use for Parliamentary and Assembly elections, and their deployment in local body elections requires no additional procedural hurdles.
Similarly, adopting a single-ward system, based on the 1961 precedent, simplifies the election process rather than complicating it, thereby reducing administrative burdens and litigation risks. Hence, these reforms would strengthen electoral transparency and efficiency without affecting election schedules or timelines.'