Maharashtra Civic Polls Spark Confusion Over Panel Voting System
Voters across Maharashtra are facing confusion as municipal corporations prepare for elections on January 15. Many citizens are used to selecting a single candidate in state and parliamentary votes. Now, they must adapt to a new panel system. This change affects 28 out of 29 municipal corporations going to the polls.
Understanding the Panel Voting Method
Under this system, voters choose a panel of corporators rather than one representative. In places like Navi Mumbai, this means voting for four members. Other areas might select between three and five corporators. This differs from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where each ward elects just one corporator.
Farhan Khan, a first-time voter from Navi Mumbai, shares his bewilderment. "I always thought voting meant picking one person," he says. "Now I have to vote four times. It feels strange." Khan is not alone in his confusion. Many young voters in Thane and other cities struggle with the concept too.
Election Officials Step Up Awareness Efforts
Jagdish More, an Assistant Commissioner with the State Election Commission, acknowledges the challenge. "Corporations are working hard to educate people," he explains. "In Navi Mumbai, this is the first time for panel voting. We must ensure voters understand the process."
Dr. Ajay Gadade, Deputy Commissioner of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, details their outreach. "We have held 300 street plays across the city," he states. "Our videos in three languages show how to vote. We have reached nearly 20,000 students with explanations. Digital panels are also placed throughout Navi Mumbai."
The NMMC has 28 wards. Twenty-seven of these are four-member wards. One ward has three members. Other civic bodies, like Kalyan Dombivli and Vasai Virar, used the one-candidate system in past elections. They now switch to panels.
Past Experiences Highlight Voter Challenges
An official recalls similar issues during panel voting in Pune back in 2017. "Confusion was widespread then," the official notes. "Some voters tried pressing the same EVM button four times. Police had to step in and clarify. They explained that voters must choose four different people on separate EVMs."
This official adds a common sentiment. "People know 'one person, one vote' from all other elections," they say. "Suddenly telling them to vote four times causes understandable confusion."
Background on the Panel System Implementation
In June last year, the Urban Development Department issued a notification. It stated that 28 municipal corporations, excluding Mumbai, would adopt a four-member ward system. Candidates file nominations from a single ward. However, they can campaign across a group of wards. They may also undertake development work in all those areas.
Voters from each ward in the group can vote for candidates across all four wards. The state legislative assembly passed the bill proposing this system in March 2024. It specifies that each ward should elect, as far as possible, four councillors. The number should not fall below three or exceed five.
The three-member ward system first appeared in 2001. Then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh introduced it. Since then, authorities have scrapped and reintroduced the system multiple times with modifications.
As election day approaches, awareness campaigns intensify. Officials hope these efforts will clear up voter doubts. The goal is a smooth polling process on January 15.
