Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that the use of VVPAT machines was not mandatory for local body polls, and it was also not technically feasible.

The commission filed an affidavit opposing a petition filed by Congress leader Prafulla Gudadhe before the Nagpur bench of the high court, challenging its decision to not use VVPAT in the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra.

Gudadhe in his plea said the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system was essential for a transparent election process.

During the hearing on Wednesday, a bench headed by Justice Anil Kilor sought to know the reason for not using VVPAT machines especially when a Supreme Court judgment said the use of VVPAT was a must.

The commission’s lawyer told the court that the SC judgment applied only to the general elections, and not local body polls.

VVPAT machines were not used during the 2017 municipal polls too, he pointed out.

The commission in its affidavit said local body Acts which govern municipal elections do not mandate the use of VVPAT.

There are also issues of technical feasibility of designing and manufacturing a VVPAT machine which can be used for multi-member and multi-post EVMs, it said.

The Parliamentary and Assembly elections are single-member, single-post elections where only one candidate is chosen by a voter, and the EVMs used by the Election Commission are specifically designed for that purpose, the affidavit said.

Village Panchayats, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations are multi-member, multi-post constituencies, it added.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday.

The first round of local body elections in Maharashtra will be held on December 2.

In his petition filed through advocates Pawan Dahat and Nihal Singh Rathod, Gudadhe said if the SEC was not going to use the VVPAT, the polls should be held using ballot papers. VVPAT is an independent system attached to an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), allowing voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.

The petition urged the HC to direct the SEC to hold the upcoming local body polls through ballot papers or quash the commission’s decision to not use VVPAT machines.

He also sought the court to restrain the SEC from using EVMs without VVPAT machines in any election.

The right to vote is a fundamental right and every citizen has the right to know if his or her vote has been rightly cast, the plea said.

Mumbai: A massive fire broke out on November 19 in Kurla West near the Mubarak Complex at LIG Colony, reportedly triggered by a gas pipeline burst. Videos circulating on social media captured thick black smoke coming into the air as flames spread rapidly.

According to the visuals, the blaze was seen in the shop located on the ground floor of a residential building and firefighting officials were present at the spot trying to douse the fire. Several residential buildings are seen in the lane where the fire took place, bringing in security concern for residents.

Patna, Nov 19: Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Nitish Kumar was once again unanimously elected as the leader of the Janata Dal(United) legislative party on Wednesday.

With this decision, it is now confirmed that Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister on November 20 at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

This will be a landmark swearing-in ceremony, as Nitish Kumar is set to begin his tenth term as Chief Minister — a remarkable achievement that underscores his long-standing influence in Bihar’s political landscape.

Over the years, he has remained at the centre of coalition politics and is regarded as one of the state’s most experienced administrators.

All JD(U) MLAs were present at Wednesday’s meeting, sending a strong message of unity and confidence in Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

Senior party leaders stated that Bihar requires stable and decisive leadership, and only under Nitish Kumar can the pace of development gain momentum.

Nitish Kumar also hinted at introducing a new development roadmap with fresh schemes and policies in the coming months, making use of the new political equation in the state.

With the JD(U)’s internal decision now clear, attention has shifted to the NDA legislative party meeting, where the leader of the NDA Legislature Party will be chosen.

However, alliance insiders suggest that the NDA is almost certain to endorse Nitish Kumar as its leader following the JD(U)’s unanimous choice.

The NDA meeting is expected to clarify the BJP’s role in the new government, including the selection of Deputy Chief Ministers.

Several names are circulating within BJP circles, but a final decision will only be taken after detailed consultations between the party’s central and state leadership.

Meanwhile, preparations for the grand swearing-in ceremony at Gandhi Maidan are in full swing. Officials have finalised arrangements for security, traffic management, VVIP movement, and public seating.

The venue is being decorated on a large scale, with special attention to stage design, audience galleries, and media facilities.

Many prominent national leaders are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers.