BMC election: Thackerays hit out at SEC over move to use new counting units

On the eve of elections to 29 municipal corporations, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday criticised the State Election Commission (SEC) over its move to use printing auxiliary display units (PADUs) to facilitate vote counting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll if technical glitches arise in electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Mr. Raj accused the SEC of keeping political parties in the dark about PADUs while Mr. Uddhav wrote to the poll body alleging that it was “acting in favour of the ruling Mahayuti”.

Following the criticism, the SEC issued a statement clarifying that PADUs would be used only in rare and exceptional cases of technical failure. The machines manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) belong to the Election Commission and are being used exclusively for the BMC election, it said.

Vote counting using PADUs must be carried out in the presence of technicians from the BEL, it said. As per its directions, the BMC carried out demonstrations of PADUs for representatives of political parties, the SEC said.

“This machine will display vote counts in case there is a technical issue,” BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, adding that they will be used in the Mumbai civic election for the first time and act as backup units.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticised the Thackeray cousins, saying, “This is preparedness before losing elections. They know Mumbai is going to vote for development.”

Row over campaigning

The Thackeray cousins, who have joined hands to contest the BMC poll, also hit out at the SEC for allowing door-to-door campaigning even after the official campaigning for the civic polls, where 2,869 representatives will be elected across 893 wards, ended on January 13.

Mr. Raj asked why the new “tradition” was introduced just before the civic polls and not implemented during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

“Why was this concession given? Why was the rule changed? Is the SEC there to do what the government wants?” he said.

The poll body, however, clarified that the order was “old and issued on February 14, 2012”.

“According to that order, after the end of public campaigning, candidates can meet voters and conduct door-to-door campaigning within 100 metres of the polling station; but microphones cannot be used and candidates cannot move around in groups,” it stated.