Pune (Maharashtra) [India] August 7 : The Pune unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) has sharply criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission for its decision not to use Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines in the upcoming municipal corporation elections. The party has demanded that if VVPATs are unavailable, the elections must be conducted using traditional ballot papers to uphold transparency and public trust.
Speaking with ANI on Wednesday, senior NCP (SP) leader Rahul Kalate, who had contested the last assembly election from the Chinchwad constituency in Pune district and lost to BJP's Shankar Jagtap, said, "The civic election process is gathering pace, but the State Election Commission has taken a shocking and concerning decision. Citing a lack of sufficient VVPAT machines, they have decided not to use them at all this only creates a favorable environment for electoral malpractice."
Kalate also raised broader concerns over the credibility of the Election Commission, pointing out that questions had already been raised about its conduct during the last assembly elections. "This latest move will only deepen the confusion and mistrust among voters regarding the EC's impartiality," he said.
Calling for accountability, Kalate added, "If the Commission cannot ensure VVPAT-backed voting, then they must revert to traditional ballot paper elections. VVPAT is crucial for verifying the integrity of votes cast through EVMs."
After his electoral defeat in the 2024 state assembly elections, Kalate had filed a petition demanding a recount of votes in the Chinchwad constituency. He alleged discrepancies in the counting process and formally approached the EC by submitting Form 17.
The NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) has now made it, clear that they will not accept an election process that lacks transparency. The party is expected to intensify its campaign for the use of ballot papers if the State Election Commission does not reverse its decision regarding VVPATs.
The controversy erupted after recent remarks made by Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare during a press conference and review meeting held in Nashik to assess preparedness for the upcoming local body elections in North Maharashtra. Waghmare announced that the election process for local self-government bodies in Maharashtra, including Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, and Municipal Councils, is expected to commence after Diwali, by the end of October 2025.
Significantly, he also clarified that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will not be used during these elections. Justifying the decision, the Commissioner cited the unavailability of VVPATs and pointed out that no other State Election Commission in the country uses them for local body polls.
Waghmare had said that, "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".
In Maharashtra, currently, 29 municipal corporations have been run by administrators for the last three years.