Maharashtra State Election Commission Announces Civic Poll Dates Amid Row Over Duplicate Voters

Last Updated:November 05, 2025, 00:21 IST

Voting will take place on December 2, and counting will be held the next day

During a press conference in Mumbai, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare admitted that there were issues of double voter registration but clarified that the SEC receives the voter data from the Central Election Commission (CEC). Representational image: News18

Amid growing objections from the opposition over alleged errors in the voter list, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for 42 Nagar Panchayats and 246 Nagar Parishads. Voting will take place on December 2, and counting will be held the next day.

However, the announcement came amid a heated debate over duplicate and dubious voter entries. During a press conference in Mumbai, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare admitted that there were issues of double voter registration but clarified that the SEC receives the voter data from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Addressing reporters, Waghmare said, “We are in the process of identifying possible duplicate voters. Where we find such entries, our officials will visit the registered addresses and verify them. The voter will then be asked to choose one polling centre. If we fail to contact the voter, we will mark two stars next to their name in the voter list. When such a voter comes to vote, they will have to give an undertaking that they have not voted elsewhere. At the same time, the other polling booth where they are registered will be alerted."

When asked about the total number of duplicate voters, Waghmare declined to share figures, saying the process was still underway. He added that the final count will be shared two days before voting. He also avoided questions about cases where over 40 voters were registered at a single address or even at public toilet locations, again citing that the final list comes from the Central Election Commission.

The united opposition, including parties from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), recently met Waghmare to express concern over bogus voters allegedly being added to the rolls. They demanded that elections be held only after the list is cleaned up. Responding to this, Waghmare said, “When the MVA delegation met us, I wrote to the Election Commission of India requesting the voter list data from July 1 to October 15, but I have not received any response yet."

When asked why the SEC is proceeding with the polls despite voter list errors, Waghmare cited Supreme Court guidelines directing that all local body elections must be completed before January 31, 2026.

Notably, the SEC has not yet announced election dates for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, the country’s richest civic body. Many of these corporations have been under state-appointed administrators for nearly five years due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, OBC quota issues, ward delimitation, and decisions taken during the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

This election season promises to be politically charged, as Maharashtra’s landscape has changed drastically in the last five years. The state now has six major political factions, with both Shiv Sena and NCP split into two groups each. The opposition recently held a massive rally in Mumbai, highlighting the issue of fake voters, where Raj Thackeray’s MNS also joined hands with the MVA, showing documents they claim prove large-scale voter duplication.

Mayuresh Ganapatye

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...Read More

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...

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News politics Maharashtra State Election Commission Announces Civic Poll Dates Amid Row Over Duplicate Voters

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