Senior social activist Vijay Kumbhar has raised serious concerns about the transparency of the upcoming local self government elections in Maharashtra. He has demanded that the elections be conducted using single member wards and ballot papers, rather than Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), stating that the current multi member ward system is illegal.

Taking to social media, Kumbhar alleged that the transparency of these elections is already under question, even before they are conducted. The State Election Commission (SEC) has declared that VVPATs (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails) will not be used in the upcoming elections, a decision Kumbhar calls highly objectionable and controversial.

While questions are already being raised over the use of EVMs, the debate around the multi-member ward system is also gaining traction. In such a scenario, not using VVPATs raises serious doubts about the transparency of the electoral process, Kumbhar argues.

What the Commission Says vs What’s at Stake

The SEC has clarified that EVMs with VVPATs are only applicable for single-member wards, and hence, they cannot be used in multi-member wards.

However, Kumbhar contends that the real issue lies elsewhere multi-member wards themselves are fundamentally illegal and flawed.

Historical Context and Legal Precedent

Before 1961, even Lok Sabha and state assembly elections were conducted using a multi-member system. But in 1961, the system was abolished through legal reform, and single-member constituencies were mandated for both Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

“The very reasons cited back then for scrapping the multi-member system apply equally to local body elections today,” Kumbhar emphasized.

Why then this discrimination?
The same legal and democratic standards that apply to national and state elections should also apply to local self-government bodies.

Demands for Electoral Integrity

If these elections are to be truly legal and transparent, Kumbhar insists they must be conducted:

• Through single-member wards only

• Using ballot papers, not EVMs

“This is not just an election it is a test of public faith in democracy. That trust must not be shaken.”

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