Civic elections in Panvel on May 24

SECM has placed demand of Rs 1.86 cr with the state govt for procuring 700 VVPAT machines

The newly created Panvel Municipal Corporation will go to polls on May 24 along with existing Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Malegaon municipal corporations.

JS Saharia, the State Election Commissioner (EC) said that the commission will procure 700 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines which will be officially used in next municipal corporation elections provided government gives funds and political parties accept it.

Saharia said that in order to enable the voters to search their names in the voters list and locate their nearest polling booths the voters list for the three municipal corporations will be announced on April 24, one month in advance to the date of polling.

Replying to queries over the use of VVPAT machines in civic polls, Saharia said that the SECM has placed demand of Rs 1.86 crore with the state government for procuring 700 VVPAT machines. He added that using VVPAT machines on trial basis will all depend upon the manufacturer supplying the machines on time, the government allocating the funds and all the political parties accepting the use of VVPAT machines.

He said that if all three conditions are met then the State Election Commission can think of using VVPAT machines in the elections to Mira-Bhayandar (August 27) and Nanded-Waghala (October 30) municipal corporations on pilot project basis.

As per the election program announced by Saharia, nomination papers will be accepted online between April 29 to May 6 excluding (May 1, Maharashtra day), scrutiny of nomination papers is on May 8, last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is May 11, allotment of election symbols is on May 12, final publication of contesting candidates is on May 12, voting will take place on May 24, and counting of votes will be held on May 26.