Latest news with #DineshWaghmare
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SEC: VVPAT not suited to multi-member ward format
Pune: State election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Thursday clarified that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines cannot be used in the upcoming civic elections due to technical and structural limitations of the current electoral framework. Speaking to TOI after a review meeting at the divisional commissioner's office, he said, "VVPATs are designed for a single-member electoral system. Municipal corporation, councils, and panchayat elections are conducted under a multi-member ward system. These machines are not compatible with such a format." His comments came a day after the opposition demanded VVPAT be used to enhance transparency in the polls. The opposition suggested that if VVPATs were not feasible, the EC should revert to traditional ballot papers. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Waghmare ruled out both options. "Apart from the mismatch in system design, logistical hurdles such as a large number of candidates per ward make VVPAT deployment unworkable. There is no proposal to return to ballot papers. The elections will be held using EVMs," he said. The SEC has initiated pre-election reviews across all divisions with municipal polls likely after Diwali. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perfectly Timed Photos You Won't Believe Are Real Read More Undo The commission has sought additional EVMs from the Election Commission of India and the Madhya Pradesh Election Commission. "They will be available before the elections," Waghmare said. He also assessed the election preparedness of all five districts in the Pune division and instructed officials to ensure comprehensive planning for free, fair, and peaceful polls. "Priority must be given to voter lists, polling stations, EVMs and voter awareness," he said. The meeting was attended by SEC secretary Suresh Kakani, divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, district collectors, and municipal commissioners. Waghmare noted that this is the first time that elections to over 650 local bodies in the state will be held simultaneously. "Voters' lists prepared by the Election Commission of India will be used and must be divided meticulously—ward-wise and centre-wise—to ensure accuracy and improve turnout," he said. More polling stations will be needed due to the multi-member format, but consolidation is possible as per SEC norms. "Booths must be accessible and equipped for all voters, including those with disabilities," Waghmare added. Districts have been directed to assess availability of returning officers, assistant returning officers, and polling personnel, and ensure all infrastructure is ready. Kakani emphasized the early verification and security of EVMs. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
State Election Commission to use July 1 voter list for upcoming civic polls
The Maharashtra State Election Commission has decided to use the voter list prepared for the state assembly elections, updated till July 1, 2025, for the upcoming local body polls, state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said. The Commission is currently seeking formal approval from the Election Commission of India to proceed with the plan. Waghmare on Thursday reviewed poll preparedness in Pune division's five districts - Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur - where elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils, and Zilla Parishads are due. (HT PHOTO) Waghmare on Thursday reviewed poll preparedness in Pune division's five districts - Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur - where elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils, and Zilla Parishads are due. 'As per the Supreme Court's directive, for the first time, elections to around 650 local bodies will be held simultaneously across Maharashtra. This is a massive logistical exercise,' Waghmare said. 'Unlike assembly elections, these will have multi-member wards, which means more polling booths. The administration must be fully prepared.' He also said each district must plan for manpower deployment, polling centre arrangements, and logistics based on the updated voter list. The state election commission is also arranging EVMs from Madhya Pradesh to meet the increased demand. 'The state election commission is planning to use the Maharashtra assembly elections voter list which was updated till July 1, 2025. Accordingly, each district should plan for manpower, voting centres, and facilities at the centers,' said Waghmare. Suresh Kakani, secretary, state election commission, instructed the district administrations to ensure EVM safety and maintenance, including preliminary inspections. He added that district planning and development committee (DPDC) funds can be used for EVM upkeep. Divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, district collectors, and municipal commissioners from all five districts attended the review meeting held at the Council Hall. Pulkundwar briefed the state election commissioner on the division's preparedness for the civic elections.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Planning to hold Maharashtra civic elections after Diwali, VVPAT machines to stay off: state poll chief Dinesh Waghmare
Amidst speculations about the local self-government body elections in Maharashtra, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare Tuesday indicated that the polls will be held in November-December. At the same time, the State Election Commission has also ruled out the possibility of the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, drawing flak from the Opposition. In Maharashtra, currently, as many as 29 municipal corporations have been run by administrators for the last three years. 'We are exploring the possibility of holding the elections from October end. You can say that the elections will be held in November-January,' Waghmare told The Indian Express. Waghmare said they were planning to hold the Maharashtra local body elections after Diwali. 'We have not declared the elections, but it would be held from the end of October to December,' he said. Waghmare said VVPAT machines will not be used in the civic and local self-government body polls. 'In the past, VVPAT machines were not used in the local self government body polls. This time too, they will not be used,' he said. Meanwhile, Waghmare said the voters' list of July 2025 will serve as the basis for the Maharashtra local self-government body polls. He said the four-member ward structure will be implemented as in the last elections. SEC sources said there will be no change in the reservations, including those of SC-ST and OBCs. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare said, 'If VVPAT machines are not used in local self-government body polls, then it raises serious issues of transparency of the elections. We will be forced to approach the courts if the machines are not used'. Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, too, questioned the logic behind not using the VVPAT machines in local self-government body polls. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sarang Kamtekar said both Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections have not been held since 2022. 'There is a pressing need to have elected bodies in place. SEC's move to hold elections after Diwali could be because people would be busy in celebrations, and then it could throw up the possibility of less voter turnout. It looks like the elections will be held in a phased manner in November-December, and could also be held in January,' said Kamtekar. Among the civic bodies waiting for polls are the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Kolhapur, Dombivli, Kalyan, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Vasai-Virar. In March, SEC had asked the state government to begin the delimitation exercise of wards. The state poll body took action after the Supreme Court directed it to notify the local self-government body polls within four weeks. The top court also asked the Maharashtra State Election Commission to maintain the status quo related to the OBC reservation of 27 per cent. Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades. Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives. Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees. During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa. Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died. Manoj More is on Facebook with 4.9k followers (Manoj More), on twitter manojmore91982 ... Read More
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Local body polls likely after Diwali, to be held in phases: SEC
Maharashtra state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Tuesday said that local self-government elections are likely to be held after Diwali and may be conducted in phases due to limited availability of resources like electronic voting machines (EVMs). He clarified that voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips will not be used during the elections, as these are not single-candidate contests but involve multiple candidates in each ward. (HT) Waghmare was speaking to reporters after reviewing preparations for the upcoming elections in Nashik. 'Considering the limited availability of resources such as EVMs, the state election commission is planning to conduct the elections in a phase-wise manner. A decision will be taken on whether to first hold elections for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis, or for municipal councils and municipal corporations. The final schedule is yet to be decided,' he said. He clarified that voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips will not be used during the elections, as these are not single-candidate contests but involve multiple candidates in each ward. Waghmare underlined the complexity of local self-government elections compared to general elections. 'These elections require fresh ward delimitation, restructuring of wards, and updating of voter lists. Once the voter list revision drive is completed, the commission will announce the election schedule, and polls will be conducted within 35 to 40 days thereafter,' he said. Most municipal corporations and zilla parishads in the state have been under administrators for nearly three years, due to delays caused by court cases and pending decisions on OBC reservation and ward structures. The Supreme Court, in a recent order, directed the state government and election commission to hold local body elections within four months. Following the order, the state government issued a notification and instructed the commission to begin the ward delimitation process and publish updated voter rolls.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Civic polls to be held in phases after Diwali: SEC
Nashik: Civic elections in Maharashtra are scheduled to be conducted in phases after Diwali, or by the end of Oct, said state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Tuesday. Additionally, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will not be utilised during the polls, he said. Waghmare made these announcements while in Nashik to assess preparations of various authorities in the region for the upcoming civic elections. During a press conference following a review meeting, Waghmare said conducting polls to all civic bodies — municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis, and nagar parishads (municipal councils) — simultaneously is not feasible due to constraints in human resources and other factors. Consequently, elections to the zilla parishads and panchayat samitis, municipal councils and municipal corporations will be held in phases after Diwali this year. However, the sequence of these elections is yet to be determined. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "The ward delimitation process is already underway as per the programme. The ward delimitation for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis is to be finalised by this month, and the divisional commissioner will conduct the hearing on suggestions and objections of voters about ward delimitation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Turkey: New Senior Apartments (Prices May Surprise You) Senior Apartments | Search Ads Search Now Undo Meanwhile, the ward delimitation process for municipal councils and municipal corporations is to be finalised by Sept 30 and Oct 10 this year respectively," Waghmare said. When asked, Waghmare revealed that OBC reservation for the civic polls will also be decided through a draw of lots. He added that VVPATs will not be employed during the civic polls due to the number of candidates in the four-ward member system and the time required for VVPATs. Additionally, controlling voter queues during voting would be challenging. "Hence we will not be using VVPATs during the civic polls," he said. Waghmare noted the State Election Commission currently possesses approximately 62,000 ballots and control units, and additional units will be needed for the polls. To address this issue, the commission has ordered 50,000 new control units and one lakh ballot units from the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), anticipating receipt by the end of Oct. Further, he said the SEC has signed an agreement with Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission to provide 25,000 control units and 75,000 ballot units.
