SC slams Maharashtra poll panel for ‘inaction and incompetence'

NEW DELHI: Extending the Sept 30 deadline for completion of the Maharashtra section assemblage elections by 4 months to Jan 31 adjacent year, Supreme Court connected Tuesday upbraided the authorities predetermination committee (SEC) for its inability to implicit the delimitation process and requisition capable fig of EVMs and canvass staff.Though it acceded to the SEC's petition for hold of deadline for completion of elections to zilla parishads, panchayat samities and municipalities, a seat of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said 4 months were fixed to you by the tribunal connected May 6, and the SEC is coming with a clump of excuses 10 days aft the expiry of deadline seeking much time.The SEC said it has completed the delimitation workout successful the zilla parishads and panchayat samilities and the process is ongoing for municipalities.

It said that it has astir 60,000 EVMs and would necessitate 50,000 much from the Election Commission. The coming festive play and committee examinations successful March adjacent twelvemonth would marque it hard to requisition capable canvass unit and returning officers, it said.When it said it would besides necessitate the elector database of the past assembly predetermination from EC, the seat came down heavy connected it and said, "You (SEC) did not cognize these are the requirements? Are section assemblage elections being held for the archetypal clip successful Maharashtra? All these amusement your inaction and incompetence."

The seat asked the Maharashtra govt to supply indispensable polling unit and returning officers to the SEC by Nov extremity and ordered the SEC to implicit the elections by Jan 31. "No further hold of clip would beryllium given," the seat said and asked the SEC to record periodic compliance reports astir requisition of EVMs, elector database and canvass staff.On May 6, a seat led by Justice Kant allowed the elections based connected OBC reservations applicable to constituencies arsenic applicable anterior to July 2010 arsenic the recommendations of the Banthia Commission had not been afloat crystallised by the state.Elections had not been held successful galore section bodies for years due to the fact that of SC's Aug 2022 presumption quo bid connected petitions challenging a authorities ordinance, which had provided for 27% OBC preservation successful section bodies based connected proposal of the Banthia Commission.