Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 2: Maharashtra’s political leaders have voiced sharp criticism over the State Election Commission’s decision to postpone elections in several nagar parishads and nagar panchayats, as well as the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court’s directive mandating a unified counting day for all poll-bound bodies on December 21.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while acknowledging the court’s authority and respecting judicial and Election Commission autonomy, expressed strong disapproval of the process. “I have not yet read the court’s verdict, but the decision given by the bench must be accepted by everyone,” he said.

Fadnavis added that in his 25 to 30 years of observing local body elections, this was the first instance where announced elections were postponed and results delayed, calling it a “failure of the system” and urging the SEC to reform its procedures. He also suggested that the law had been misinterpreted, stating, “Postponing all counting for the sake of just 24 places does not seem right to me,” emphasizing that his concerns were with the legal procedure rather than the Election Commission itself.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the state government and SEC of disrupting the elections, claiming that the Supreme Court’s verdict had been misinterpreted and alleging that postponing counting could be an attempt to manipulate results. “Democracy is being strangled,” he asserted. Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray responded sarcastically, saying, “It is better not to speak about the Election Commission and the court,” while Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray described the situation as “arbitrariness going on in the country.”

Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule also condemned the SEC’s move, calling the confusion a “massive mess” and the decision “incomprehensible,” accusing the commission of misinterpreting rules and “holding citizens hostage.” NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar targeted both the ruling MahaYuti government and the poll body, stating that the High Court’s decision highlighted the Election Commission’s poor handling of the process. He added that the chaos reflected the close ties between the BJP and the SEC, holding both responsible for the current turmoil in the state.