Maharashtra: SEC’s Last-Minute Postponement Of Local Body Polls Sparks Political Outrage

The State Election Commission’s (SEC) sudden decision to postpone elections for 24 municipal councils, nagar panchayats and 154 ward seats until December 20 has triggered widespread disappointment and political backlash across Maharashtra.

The announcement came just a day before voting was scheduled, leaving candidates, party workers and local leaders stunned. Many described the move as “unprecedented” and “unfair.”

Fadnavis Slams SEC for ‘Misinterpreting Law’

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sharply criticised the SEC, calling the decision a “misinterpretation of law.”
“The Election Commission has misunderstood the law. Cancelling elections at this final stage is completely wrong. Never in history has an election been postponed once the process reached this stage,” he said.

BJP Leaders Demand Withdrawal of Decision

BJP State President Ravindra Chavan strongly opposed the postponement and wrote to the SEC demanding its withdrawal.
“Stopping elections suddenly without valid justification is wrong. This decision is unjust to all contesting candidates and must be reversed,” he stated.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also called the move “unfortunate,” questioning the timing and legality of halting polls after nominations, scrutiny, withdrawals and campaigning had concluded.
“This has never happened once the process is at this stage. The decision raises serious concerns,” he said.

Opposition Accuses SEC of Mismanagement

Opposition parties also hit out at the commission, accusing it of poor planning and procedural lapses.

Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal criticised the timing of the announcement.
“Postponing elections 48 hours before polling is inexplicable. Was the commission sleeping for eight days after the court order?” he asked, demanding a review of even the new date.

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan accused both the SEC and the government of failing to ensure smooth elections.
“The Election Commission has created complete chaos. If they were not prepared, why rush into conducting elections?” he questioned.

SEC Issues Clarification

With criticism coming from both ruling and opposition parties, the SEC’s decision has become a major political flashpoint.

In its clarification, the SEC said it postponed select elections only after examining all aspects and receiving legal advice.

Officials said the decision will not affect the ongoing election process in other areas.

According to Provision 17(1)(b), if a candidate files an appeal in court, a fixed period must be provided for withdrawal of nominations. Without doing so, the entire statewide election process would have been impacted and all polls would have had to be postponed prompting the SEC to defer only selected elections.

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