Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant stated that when the Opposition is collectively demanding an error-free voters’ list, it is the Election Commission’s duty to step in. He noted that even the chief minister have urged cancellation of the electoral roll
Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant. File Pic
The Congress on Tuesday urged the Election Commission (EC) to immediately address the Opposition’s demand to correct alleged “irregularities” in the voters’ lists ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra local body polls 2025, noting that even leaders from the ruling alliance had raised similar concerns, news agency PTI reported.
Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said political parties are an integral part of democracy and that the electoral process remains incomplete without their participation.
“When all Opposition parties are jointly demanding a clean and error-free electoral roll, it is the EC’s duty to act. Now, even ruling party leaders, including the chief minister and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, have said the voters’ list must be cancelled. If the ruling party is saying the same thing, what’s the problem now?” Sawant wrote on X.
The statement came a day after Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar accused Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS leader Raj Thackeray of engaging in appeasement politics and attempting to influence government staff before the local body polls.
Shelar also alleged that the Opposition was creating a “fake narrative” about the voters’ list, claiming it ignored multiple entries from Muslim and minority communities while focusing only on Hindus, Dalits, and Marathi voters.
Responding to Shelar’s remarks, Sawant said, “Earlier, Anurag Thakur had exposed the BJP, and now Ashish Shelar has admitted to vote theft, again exposing his own party. Will the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra now ask Shelar to file an affidavit?”
He further alleged that the BJP was being branded as “vote thieves” across the country, PTI reported.
“The so-called superpower that attacks the Constitution is being challenged and exposed by none other than Rahul Gandhi. Lies cannot sustain for long, BJP leaders should rather worry about their future,” Sawant added.
Maharashtra local body polls 2025: Voting in municipal councils, nagar panchayats on December 2
Elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats across Maharashtra will be held on December 2, with counting scheduled for December 3, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare announced on Tuesday
Addressing a press conference, Waghmare confirmed that the final voter list will be published on November 7, following the completion of the voter registration process. A total of 1.7 crore are eligible to cast their votes this election.
Voting will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and ballot units, while VVPATs will not be used, he clarified.
Each municipal council will have a single-member ward, and a total of 13,355 polling stations will be set up across the state. Over 66,775 election officers and staff will be deployed to manage the election process.
(With PTI inputs)
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