Nagpur Civic Polls Face Severe Criticism Over Administrative Failures
Opposition parties in Nagpur launched sharp criticism against election authorities on Thursday. They squarely blamed poll officials for numerous problems that voters encountered during the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections. These civic polls happened after a gap of nine long years, but participants called the experience a major let-down. Administrative lapses created a poor voting environment throughout the city.
Congress MLA Highlights Multiple Polling Issues
Former minister and Congress MLA Nitin Raut pointed out several issues that marred the polling process. He mentioned problems ranging from prabhag mismatches to faulty voting machines. Officials even used permanent markers instead of standard indelible ink at some locations. "These machines undergo testing and approval procedures," Raut stated. "Yet in a school near Nari, we witnessed three EVM breakdowns at just one single booth."
Raut firmly stated that voter turnout suffered significantly because the State Election Commission made voting unnecessarily difficult. "I feel shocked that voters had to run from pillar to post simply to locate their correct booths," he explained. "The official mobile application did not work for many citizens. The prabhag boundary changes left me completely speechless."
NCP Leader Claims SEC Spoiled Voter Enthusiasm
NCP (SP) city president Duneshwar Pethe noted that voters displayed genuine enthusiasm for these elections. The long gap between polls and the festive mood of Makar Sankranti contributed to this energy. However, Pethe alleged that the State Election Commission "spoilt everything" through poor management.
"Poorly demarcated wards meant people ended up voting for candidates they did not even know," Pethe claimed. He added that the use of permanent markers created another serious issue. This allowed some voters to potentially erase their marks and possibly vote again illegally. "There was no transparency at all during this entire process," Pethe emphasized.
Congress General Secretary Blames Administrative Errors
Congress general secretary Atul Kotecha said the administration must take full responsibility for what he called "the entire mess." He provided a personal example to illustrate the problem. "Even within my own family, members had to vote at different locations due to prabhag changes caused by official errors," Kotecha revealed. "This directly affected overall turnout. What is the use of spending crores of rupees on advertising campaigns if the basic election machinery isn't functioning correctly?"
BSP Flags EVM Sequencing and Voter List Irregularities
The Bahujan Samaj Party also raised serious concerns about voter list irregularities during the polls. Party representatives alleged errors in EVM candidate sequencing at multiple booths in Ward 33. These errors led to considerable confusion and unnecessary delays for voters.
The issue surfaced early at booth number 40 located at Dr Ambedkar Social Institute. BSP candidate Uttam Shewade noticed an incorrect order on the EVM machine at this location. He promptly lodged a formal complaint with election officials present at the booth.
Following this objection, election authorities corrected the EVM sequence in the presence of polling officials and technical staff. Officials later verified EVM orders at other polling centers across the ward. They made corrections wherever required, with technicians, booth officers, and all four BSP candidates witnessing the process.
BSP leaders further alleged a troubling mismatch between display boards outside polling booths and the internal EVM sequences. This discrepancy added another layer of confusion for voters trying to cast their ballots correctly.
Beyond the EVM sequencing problems, the party reiterated its concerns about voter list discrepancies. They claimed large-scale misplacement of voters occurred during these elections. The BSP stated they had raised this specific issue as early as December 3. After their complaint, civic officials conducted verification drives and assured corrective action in writing.
According to the party's account, voters from Ward 33 who were wrongly shifted to Ward 17 were supposed to be restored to their original ward. The implementation of this correction remained unclear during the actual polling process.
