As Nagpur moves ahead with its civic election process, a critical review of candidates' affidavits has uncovered significant irregularities. The documents, meant to ensure transparency for voters, were found to be incomplete, poorly presented, and in some cases, virtually unreadable on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) website. This has sparked serious concerns about the accessibility of statutory disclosures that are crucial for informed voting.
Incomplete Disclosures from Veteran Corporators
A detailed examination of affidavits from various zones revealed troubling patterns, especially among seasoned politicians. In Ward 27A of the Nehru Nagar zone, Tanaji Wanve of the NCP (Ajit faction), a five-time corporator, submitted an affidavit of merely five pages. Shockingly, this document contained only his name and party details, completely omitting mandatory declarations of assets and liabilities, along with any attested supporting papers.
The trend continued with other experienced candidates. Kishor Kumeriya of Shiv Sena (UBT), a four-time corporator from Ward 28D (Nehru Nagar zone), had a six-page affidavit online. Similarly, in Ward 27C, BJP's two-time corporator Divya Dhurde also had a six-page affidavit available on the portal, with no visible information related to personal assets or debts.
Upload Chaos and Baffling Anomalies
While some affidavits were strikingly brief, others suffered from severe presentation issues that hampered public scrutiny. A case in point is Independent candidate Dharmpal Vanjari from Ward 2D in Ashi Nagar zone. His affidavit ran into 42 pages, suggesting a complete submission. However, the document was uploaded in a chaotic manner, with pages appearing randomly arranged, tilted, or even upside down. Several images clearly showed hands and background objects, and multiple pages were blank or carried no legible information, rendering large sections useless.
An even more confusing anomaly was found in the same ward concerning candidate Harish Nakke. Two affidavits were uploaded under his name. One file correctly bore his name, but another was labelled as belonging to Jairam Laade, another Independent candidate from Ward 2D. Ironically, the file named for Jairam Laade reportedly contained Harish Nakke's affidavit, while Laade's actual affidavit was missing from the website entirely.
Official Response and Accountability
When confronted with these discrepancies, Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari clarified the chain of responsibility. He stated that the duty of scrutinizing and granting final approval for the affidavits lies with the appointed Returning Officers (ROs). "Once the returning officers give confirmation on the affidavits, they are uploaded online," Chaudhari explained. He assured that he would look into the reported issues and take appropriate cognisance of the situation to address the lapses in the disclosure process.
These findings highlight a critical gap in the enforcement of electoral transparency norms. With affidavits being the primary tool for voters to assess a candidate's background, such widespread inconsistencies undermine the integrity of the democratic process and call for immediate rectification by the authorities.
