In a significant development ahead of the Nagpur civic elections, municipal authorities have identified approximately 95,000 voter IDs for suspected duplicate entries, potentially indicating that nearly 47,500 voters may be holding double enrollment. Despite this large-scale flagging, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has firmly stated that the final electoral roll of 24.83 lakh voters will remain unaltered for the upcoming polls.
Verification is Parallel Process, No Authority to Delete: NMC Chief
Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, addressing a press conference following the State Election Commission's announcement of the poll schedule, provided crucial clarifications. "The verification exercise will run parallel to election preparations and will not affect the published voters' list," Chaudhari asserted. He emphasized that the civic body itself lacks the power to correct or delete voter IDs, a responsibility that rests solely with revenue officials under the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Chaudhari explained that identifying suspected duplicates is a routine, ongoing process involving photo matching, meta data analysis, and preliminary field scrutiny. "The verification of suspected duplicate entries is an ongoing, routine process. It does not mean deletion of names from the final list," he said. Any action on flagged entries will follow a strict, consent-based procedure as per ECI norms, with no blanket deletions.
Massive Election Machinery Rolls Out in Nagpur
With the model code of conduct in effect since December 15, election preparations have moved into the execution phase. The administration is mobilizing a colossal workforce of nearly 18,000 officers and employees drawn from various government and semi-government departments, public sector undertakings, schools, colleges, and the police force.
The final ward-wise list, published on Tuesday, places Nagpur's total electorate at 24,83,112 voters. This includes 12,26,690 men, 12,56,166 women, and 256 registered under the 'others' category. This list was prepared by dividing assembly constituency voter rolls (as of the qualification date of July 1, 2025) into 38 municipal wards. The draft was published on November 20, with objections examined until December 3 before finalization.
Decentralized Oversight and Poll Preparedness
To ensure smooth conduct, the elections will be managed zone-wise across 10 zones. Each zone will be supervised by a zonal election officer from the deputy collector cadre, supported by tehsildars, assistant municipal commissioners, and executive engineers. This decentralized structure aims to facilitate better monitoring, faster grievance redressal, and quicker decision-making on polling day.
On the infrastructure front, the administration is preparing for between 3,000 to 3,167 polling stations, with the final count pending on-ground verification. For EVMs, while machines are yet to be finalized, the administration has requested a 10% reserve of control units. The estimate includes nearly 10,000 ballot units, with about three units allocated per polling station.
To enforce the model code of conduct rigorously, the administration has activated Flying Squads (FSTs), Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs), and Video Surveillance Teams (VSTs). Key road corridors have been identified for intensive monitoring. A dedicated control centre for MCC-related complaints is operational, and citizens can lodge complaints via toll-free number 1800-233-3764 or landline 0712-2532474.
With polling scheduled for January, Commissioner Chaudhari highlighted intensified coordination with police and other line departments, underscoring the administration's commitment to ensuring voter confidence and preventing logistical lapses during the crucial civic elections.
