NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for completing Maharashtra’s long-pending local body elections by four months, pushing it from September 30 to January 31, but strongly criticised the State Election Commission (SEC) for its “inaction and incompetence.”
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi reminded the SEC that it had already been given four months in May to conduct polls, yet came back seeking more time after the deadline had lapsed.
The SEC argued it had finished delimitation for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis, while the process was still underway for municipalities. It said Maharashtra currently has 60,000 EVMs but needs 50,000 more from the Election Commission, and cited the festive season and March board exams as hurdles in mobilising poll staff.
The bench rejected these explanations sharply:
“You did not know these are the requirements? Are local body elections being held for the first time in Maharashtra? All these show your inaction and incompetence.”
The court directed the Maharashtra government to provide adequate poll staff and returning officers by November-end, and ordered the SEC to finish the elections by January 31, 2026, with no further extensions. The SEC must also file periodic compliance reports on requisitioning of EVMs, voter lists and manpower.
Polls to several local bodies in the state have been delayed for years, largely due to legal disputes over OBC reservations. In May 2023, the SC had allowed elections based on quotas as they stood before July 2010, since recommendations of the Banthia Commission had not yet been finalised.
