Maharashtra's Revenue Minister, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, has launched a sharp critique against the State Election Commission (SEC), squarely blaming the constitutional body for the widespread delay in announcing results for municipal council and nagar panchayat elections across the state. The minister attributed the holdup to what he termed "avoidable errors" in the SEC's decision-making process.
Minister Points to Flawed Deferment Decisions
Bawankule, who also serves as the guardian minister for Nagpur and Amravati districts, asserted that the commission derailed the entire electoral schedule by unnecessarily postponing polls in areas where no legal cases were pending before the courts. He argued that the SEC should have limited any deferment strictly to those jurisdictions where active litigation was ongoing.
"The commission postponed elections wrongly, and because of that, all results are now delayed. This has caused deep disappointment among candidates," Bawankule stated. He added that leaders from across the political spectrum have registered strong objections to how the SEC has managed the electoral process.
Government Engagement and Allegations of Interference
The minister revealed that the state government had repeatedly engaged with the commission through multiple meetings and official correspondence to address these concerns. "We discussed this many times, but they did not take note. This confusion is inexplicable," he remarked, emphasizing that the upcoming elections are large-scale and the SEC must urgently resolve the current mess.
He further disclosed that the Central Election Commission has sought a report from the state body. Bawankule insisted the SEC "must correct what has gone wrong" because "holding the people of the state hostage is not acceptable."
Addressing accusations from opposition leaders, Bawankule firmly dismissed any suggestion of government interference in the SEC's functioning. "The SEC is an autonomous authority. There is no interference from us. It is not right to draw politics into everything," he clarified.
Claims of Public Mandate and Response to Opposition
On the political front, Bawankule insisted that the electorate voted enthusiastically and largely in favour of the Mahayuti alliance and the BJP. He claimed that the people have endorsed the developmental model presented by the state government and that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's leadership has received robust public backing. "The BJP will receive 51% of the vote," he projected confidently.
Countering remarks made by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, Bawankule said she should accept the people's mandate. "If there are incidents, they will be probed, but blaming all voters is wrong. Saying that voters ‘took money indiscriminately' is unacceptable," he concluded.
