No VVPAT For Local Body Polls: Opposition Slams State Election Commission In Pune

Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare recently announced that the election process for local self-government bodies in Maharashtra, including Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads and Municipal Councils, is expected to commence after Diwali.

However, a controversy has erupted after Waghmare said that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will not be used for these polls. Justifying the decision, he cited the unavailability of VVPATs and pointed out that no other State Election Commission in the country uses them for local body polls.

Waghmare said, "VVPAT machines will not be used in the civic and local self-government body polls. In the past, VVPAT machines were not used in the local self-government body polls. This time too, they will not be used."

Meanwhile, the opposition leaders in Pune have sharply criticised the Election Commission and demanded that if VVPATs are unavailable, the elections must be conducted using traditional ballot papers to uphold transparency and public trust.

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Mukund Kirdat said, "VVPAT machines are an independent vote verification system, which allows a voter to see whether their vote was cast correctly. VVPAT machines are attached to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which generate a paper slip that the voter can view to verify that the EVM registered the correct candidate and party. It is important for verification. So we want VVPATs to be used for local body elections. Because the EVM has loopholes and even the Supreme Court in 2017 observed that VVPAT should be used for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. We want fair voting rights."

Pune City Mahila Congress Vice President, Prachi Dudhane, said, "We don't want EVM or VVPAT. We want ballot paper. By bringing such topics, they want to just divert the subject. Now, everybody is concerned about casting their votes on VVPAT, but it also has many loopholes. I remember when I cast my vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, we received the print from the VVPAT, but then it was not shown to us and we were only told that you've voted. And after that, now we don't even get to see the slips. We demanded to ban the EVM altogether."

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NCP (SP) leader Rahul Kalate said, "The civic election process is gathering pace, but the State Election Commission has taken a shocking and concerning decision. Citing a lack of sufficient VVPAT machines, they have decided not to use them at all. This only creates a favourable environment for electoral malpractice." Kalate also raised broader concerns over the credibility of the Election Commission, pointing out that questions had already been raised about its conduct during the last assembly elections. "This latest move will only deepen the confusion and mistrust among voters regarding the EC's impartiality," he said. Calling for accountability, Kalate added, "If the Commission cannot ensure VVPAT-backed voting, then they must revert to traditional ballot paper elections. VVPAT is crucial for verifying the integrity of votes cast through EVMs."

On the other hand, former president of Kothrud BJP, Dr Sandeep Bhutala, said, "I'm working on the ground and have even been part of vote counting, and in the last 15 years, be it the local, state or Lok Sabha election, there is no difference in the machine. The readings are the same only. People have this habit of questioning everything."

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Pune residents question transparency

Pune residents are also openly questioning the transparency and trustworthiness of the election process.

Usha Deshpande, a retired teacher, said, “They keep talking about transparency and voter confidence. Then why skip the very machine that allows us to verify our own vote? This isn’t just technical, it’s about our right to trust the system.”

A young entrepreneur from Kothrud, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “If VVPATs were bought and tested, and we’ve already paid for them through our taxes, why keep them locked up? It’s like spending crores on safety belts in a car and then deciding not to wear them.”

Rakesh Kumar, a student at Savitribai Phule Pune University, said, “Let’s be honest, if the Election Commission is going to avoid all checks and balances, why not just directly announce the winners? No election, only selection - is that where we’re heading?”