Maharashtra SEC Extends Deadline To Submit Objections For Draft Voters List Across All 29 Municipal Corporations

Mumbai, Nov 26: Following allegations by the opposition on irregularities in the published draft voters list and a demand for an extension in the deadline to submit objections, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday announced that the deadline has been extended by six days.

The new deadline for citizens to file their suggestions and objections over the draft voters list is now Wednesday, December 3. The revised schedule is applicable for all 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, for which the elections are expected to be held in mid-January 2026.

New Revised Election Timeline Announced

The SEC order issued to municipal commissioners of all 29 corporations on Wednesday evening informed them about the revised schedule. As per the new schedule, the deadline to submit suggestions and objections has been revised from November 27 to December 3; the final voters list will now be published on December 10 instead of December 5; the polling booth list will be published on December 15 instead of December 8; and the final polling booth-wise voters list will be published on December 22 instead of December 12.

FPJ Report Confirmed Extension Decision

The FPJ had reported in Wednesday's edition, quoting the State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, that the decision had been taken to extend the deadline for submitting objections over the draft voters list; however, the number of days was under consideration.

Possible Delay In Civic Polls By Two Weeks

The delay in publishing the final list by 10 days also means that the municipal corporation elections may get delayed by two weeks. Although the SEC is yet to announce the polling schedule, it was expected that the corporations would go for polls in early or mid-January. As per Supreme Court orders, the SEC has to conclude all local bodies elections in Maharashtra by January 31, 2026.

Opposition Flags ‘Widespread Anomalies’ In Draft Rolls

The draft voters list for all 29 municipal corporations was published on November 20, after the SEC revised the schedule twice. Since the day of publishing, the opposition in Maharashtra came together to strongly criticise the SEC, alleging widespread anomalies in the draft voters lists and raising serious concerns about alleged intimidation of candidates in the local body polls.

The state Congress said that a large number of voters’ names have been shifted to different areas, and even the process of taking objections in the electoral rolls is very complicated. The party demanded a 15-day extension for citizens to submit objections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) And MNS Also Sought Extension

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders, led by former Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray, met the SEC Commissioner with a similar request but demanded that the time to raise suggestions and objections be extended by 21 days.

Mumbai Draft Roll Shows Massive Duplication

For the draft voters list for Mumbai, published by the BMC, it was also revealed that out of a total 1.03 lakh voters, 11,01,505 are duplicate entries. Allegedly, one voter's name is registered as many as 103 times.

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SEC Issues Fresh Instructions For Scrutiny

Meanwhile, to ensure proper scrutiny before the final voters list is published, the SEC on Tuesday had also issued several orders, including giving suo motu powers to municipal commissioners to make corrections instead of relying on booth-level officers' reports; directing senior officers to verify complaints; ensuring objections are immediately examined and disposed of on the same or next day; and setting up ‘Voters Help Desks’ at all municipal corporation headquarters or ward offices, among other measures.

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