Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said “misinterpretation of laws” by the State Election Commission (SEC) has led to the Bombay High Court deferring the counting of votes for the local bodies polls to December 21.

The SEC’s actions alone had “prompted such a decision”, the state revenue minister claimed, adding that he had repeatedly cautioned the poll body against delaying elections.

Bawankule was speaking to reporters here hours after the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court directed that the counting of all civic bodies polls in the state will be held on December 21.

The SEC had earlier scheduled the counting for Tuesday’s elections on December 3.

The HC’s order has come on a day when polling was underway for elections to 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, days after the SEC rescheduled the elections in 24 local bodies on December 20.

“I have been saying that the SEC is misinterpreting laws and postponing elections without any basis,” Bawankule said.

He pointed out that there were no demands for the postponement of elections from any part of the state, and despite this, the SEC had delayed the polls, resulting in the high court’s intervention.

The minister further stated that it was “for the first time in the history of the SEC” that elections or counting had been stayed in such a manner.

“Such decisions are unacceptable. Leaders across parties are outraged,” Bawankule said, claiming that the SEC had failed to hold any all-party meetings and is creating problems for voters.

Raising questions about the deferred counting date, he said, “Which political party wants counting on December 21? We want the result tomorrow. Is there any political party in Maharashtra that wants results on the 21st?” The BJP leader said that he had personally raised concerns with the SEC on several occasions.

“I discussed these issues seven to eight times and even wrote to them, but nothing was acknowledged. We showed the SEC how it was misinterpreting laws, yet everything was taken in the wrong way,” he said.

Asked whether the high court’s order would be challenged, Bawankule said it was for the SEC to decide.

“It is the SEC’s prerogative to appeal in the Supreme Court. For once and for all, the Commission should find a solution. Larger local bodies are yet to face elections,” he said.

He also criticised the SEC’s handling of the poll schedule.

“It is not good that political parties put in effort, run campaigns, and then suddenly the Commission postpones polling. It does not present a good picture,” the minister said.

He slammed the Opposition parties for blaming the government for the postponement, saying their allegations were misplaced.

“The SEC is an autonomous body. The government has no role. This chaos is unfathomable, and the Commission must resolve it,” he said.

Expressing disappointment over the last-minute postponement of polling in some pockets, Bawankule said, “How can you let parties campaign for weeks and then, 24 hours before polling, announce postponement? In 35 years of public life, I have never seen such mismanagement.” “I spoke to several collectors and SEC officials, but nobody was ready to hear us. It appears the people in the SEC feel they are above accountability,” he said.

Mumbai: air quality has shown a marked improvement over the past few days, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation attributing the positive trend to strict enforcement of pollution-control measures across the city and suburbs. Officials said the Air Quality Index has been consistently improving since 26 November 2025, with the most significant progress recorded in the last forty-eight hours.

Wind speed, which had remained low at around three to four kilometres per hour until 28 November, has now increased to between ten and eighteen kilometres per hour, aiding the dispersal of pollutants.

Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani has directed that enforcement continue without pause against private construction sites and government projects found violating pollution norms. Several sites have already been served stop work notices for non-compliance with the earlier twenty-eight-point guideline.

Gagrani clarified that the Graded Response Action Plan Stage 4 is currently not applicable to Mumbai. However, the corporation has intensified monitoring to ensure that all pollution-control directives continue to be implemented firmly.

To ensure widespread compliance, the BMC has deployed ninety four mobile squads across every administrative ward. These teams are inspecting private construction sites and major public works such as road and metro projects. They are also checking sensor based AQI monitoring devices installed at construction locations and issuing notices whenever irregularities are detected.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi is overseeing the daily execution of these measures.

Gagrani said the civic body is carrying out multiple pollution-control initiatives simultaneously. These include converting bakeries and crematoriums to cleaner fuels, using misting machines for dust suppression, washing major roads, and conducting large scale cleanliness drives. Public awareness campaigns are also underway to discourage waste burning and encourage compliance among citizens.

The Mumbai Port Authority has reportedly acted upon BMC’s request to stop bonfires within its premises, which were contributing to local pollution levels.

The BMC reiterated that the improvement in Mumbai’s AQI is the result of coordinated efforts on multiple fronts. With wind conditions now favourable, the civic body stressed the need for continued discipline from all stakeholders.

Gagrani urged private, government, and semi government project heads to adhere strictly to pollution-control guidelines. He appealed to bakeries to shift to clean fuels at the earliest and requested citizens to support the corporation by avoiding open waste burning.

New Delhi, Dec 2: The Rajya Sabha, India’s Upper House of Parliament, witnessed a brief but intense session on Tuesday morning before being adjourned until 2 p.m., as opposition members intensified their protests over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The adjournment, coming just 20 minutes into proceedings, underscored the deepening impasse in the Winter Session, now in its second day, where demands for debate on alleged voter disenfranchisement have overshadowed legislative business.

Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, who assumed office in September, called the House to order at 11 a.m., but was immediately met with slogan-shouting from the Opposition benches.

Led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and allies from the INDIA bloc — including Trinamool Congress, DMK, and AAP — members trooped into the Well of the House, brandishing placards reading “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chod (Vote Thief, Quit the Throne)”.

They renewed calls for an urgent discussion under Rule 267 on the SIR process, underway in 12 states and union territories ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, claiming it has led to over 30 deaths among Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and the wrongful deletion of millions of names, particularly from marginalised communities.

Kharge, invoking Monday’s unresolved notices, accused the government of “saving itself at democracy’s expense”.

“We submitted detailed notices yesterday — names, subjects, everything — but they were ignored. Thirty lives lost, families shattered, and you have ignored it all,” he said.

From the Treasury side, Leader of House J.P. Nadda urged restraint, promising consultations. “The Chair will decide; let’s not derail the session. Multiple bills await,” he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, fired back with a mix of plea and provocation, “You’re fixated on one issue when the nation grapples with floods, jobs, and security. Elections you lose, anger you vent here — focus on governance, not grandstanding.”

His remark drew sharp rebuttals, with Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien retorting, “We’re fighting for votes, not vengeance; your delays are the real drama.”

Chairman Radhakrishnan, maintaining his characteristic calm, appealed for order multiple times, warning against disruptions. Meanwhile, the routine business continued amid uproar and sloganeering. The chairman again pleaded with the opposition members to maintain order, but din persisted, forcing the adjournment till 2 p.m.