Implement SIR in Maha similar to Bihar: Oppn to state poll panel

Mumbai: The opposition parties in Maharashtra, on Tuesday, sought to know from the State Chief Electrical Officer (CEO) S. Chocklingam that the special intensive revision (SIR) was conducted in Bihar before the state Assembly elections then why it cannot be held in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming local and civic body elections.

The opposition leaders comprising NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray, veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, senior NCP-SP legislator Jayant Patil, Ajit Nawale and Subhash Lande of the Left parties and Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi Party met the state CEO and demanded free and fair elections of the local and civic body elections.

They also raised why SIR has been deferred in the state citing local and civic body elections.

They also took up a range of issues, including double registration of votes, no use of VVPATs, lack of transparency and conducting elections on ballot papers.

Another delegation of opposition leaders met with the State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare.

“The Opposition has questioned why no SIR was implemented in Maharashtra before the local body polls, if the same can be implemented in Bihar before Assembly polls? It has also asked the Commission to consider use of VVPATs in Mumbai elections since there is no ward system. Mumbai does not have a multi-ward system. If the Election Commission cannot provide VVPATs even to Mumbai, then we demand that the election in Mumbai should be held on ballot papers,” the opposition leaders’ delegation said in a letter.

The letter also raised doubts over the State Election Commission’s decision to not use VVPATs in local body polls in Maharashtra.

SEC Waghmare has already said that VVPATs will not be used in the upcoming local body polls.

“We have spent over thousands of crore on these VVPATs. What’s the use of it if we are not going to use them? Common people have no trust on EVMs. The only way of confirming the vote is VVPATs and now you are going to close the same,” the letter said.

Sources within the SEC said that due to multi-ward system in local bodies, except Mumbai, the use of VVPATs is virtually impossible.

Former Minister and NCP-SP leader Jayant Patil said, “The opposition parties highlighted several problems in the voters’ list in a meeting held with the Chief Electoral Officer. We have requested that our point should be heard jointly by the State Election Commission and Chief Electoral officer, who is the representative of the Election Commission of India. Our demand is that the voters’ list should be rectified before the local body polls. We presented a number of examples such as a son having age more than his father and more than a hundred people living in one room.”

The letter submitted by the Opposition raised six key points.

It alleged that the Election Commission has not made public the list of voters’ names deleted and added in the updated voters’ list to be used for the local body polls.

Pointing out that a number of voters from different states reside in urban parts of the state, the letter said that many of them have registered their names twice, in their native state and in Maharashtra.

“This is a crime. The Election Commission is responsible for ensuring that this does not happen. What efforts are being taken by the Election Commission for the same? If the Election Commission has undertaken a special campaign to remove double voters in Bihar before the Assembly polls, then why can’t we see a similar effort in Maharashtra before the local body polls,” the opposition parties asked.

After the meeting, Shiv Sena-UBT leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, “Two of our delegations held meetings at two places. One was with the Chief Electoral Officer and other was with the State Election Commission. The meeting with the CEO was incomplete as there is going to be yet another meeting tomorrow (Wednesday). There will be a joint meeting of CEO and State Election Commission with opposition parties. We will brief the media after that meeting.”

IANS