The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has issued a stern warning to the Pune Municipal Corporation, threatening widespread agitation if authorities fail to address the alarming discovery of over 3 lakh duplicate entries in the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming civic elections.
Political Outrage Over Electoral Irregularities
Prashant Jagtap, the city president of NCP(SP), expressed grave concerns about the integrity of the election process following the PMC's admission about the massive duplication in voter registrations. The civic body acknowledged having 3 lakh voters registered twice in the recently published draft ward-wise electoral roll, yet claimed it lacked the authority to remove these duplicate entries.
"This is a very serious situation that raises doubts over the entire election process," Jagtap stated during a press conference on Friday. The political leader emphasized that such large-scale irregularities could significantly impact the outcome of the municipal elections scheduled for Pune.
Ward Distribution Controversy Deepens Crisis
Adding to the controversy, Jagtap revealed another disturbing pattern in the electoral data. Several voters residing within a single ward's jurisdiction have been distributed across seven different wards in the draft electoral roll. This unusual distribution has raised eyebrows among political observers and residents alike.
"If this involved residents living near the boundary of the electoral ward, it would have been understood as a mistake. But, residents from the central area of the ward are being placed in other wards," Jagtap claimed, suggesting systematic manipulation rather than administrative errors.
Multi-Pronged Strategy to Address Concerns
The NCP(SP) has joined forces with its alliance partners, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress, to demand immediate corrective measures. The coalition has formally urged Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram to approach both the State Election Commission and the Election Commission of India to implement necessary changes in the electoral rolls.
Jagtap outlined their escalation strategy if the concerns remain unaddressed: "If the electoral roll is not purified, we will agitate across the city. If need be, we will also approach the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court to point out the problems in the electoral rolls."
The political parties have positioned this as a fundamental democratic issue, emphasizing that clean electoral rolls are essential for free and fair elections.
Administrative Response and Election Structure
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram had previously addressed the duplication issue on Thursday, confirming the existence of double entries while explaining the limitations of the civic body's authority. The commissioner assured that the civic body would reach out to affected voters to ensure they vote only once during the elections.
The upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation elections will see 165 corporators elected from 41 electoral wards. The distribution includes four corporators from each of the 40 wards and five from one particular ward, making the purity of electoral rolls crucial for balanced representation.
In October, the Maharashtra government had declared that voters enrolled in the electoral list until July 1 would be eligible to participate in the PMC elections, adding significance to the current controversy over the accuracy of these very lists.
