Nagpur/Mumbai, Dec 2 (NationPress) The results declaration for the Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat elections in Maharashtra has been delayed, as the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court issued a ruling on Tuesday that establishes a single counting day for all electoral bodies slated for December 21.

This directive overrides the State Election Commission's (SEC) initial schedule, which intended to tally votes and release results this Wednesday. Consequently, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from elections held on Tuesday will remain secured for an additional three weeks.

The High Court's decision to synchronize the results arises from procedural and legal issues linked to the postponed elections.

Initially, on November 4, the SEC declared general elections for 246 Nagar Parishads and 42 Nagar Panchayats. However, District Courts' rulings on candidate nomination appeals surfaced after the SEC's November deadline, resulting in the postponement of elections for the President and Member posts in roughly 24 Nagar Parishads and 154 posts across 76 Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats to December 20.

The SEC's actions faced a series of challenges through petitions presented in the High Court.

Petitioners contended that declaring results for one set of elections before the postponed polls on December 20 could unduly sway voter sentiment, making a unified declaration date necessary.

Upon reviewing these petitions, the High Court decreed that all election results for Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats, including those held today, must be announced on December 21.

Exit Polls can be disclosed half an hour after voting concludes on December 20.

The Model Code of Conduct will remain active until the results are announced on December 21.

Candidates involved in the postponed elections will keep their original election symbols. However, the court turned down the candidates' request to raise the expenditure cap due to the extended election timeframe.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis publicly expressed his extreme displeasure regarding the procedural disarray, labeling the situation an unprecedented setback.

“Elections that have been announced are now postponed, and their results are delayed. This is occurring for the very first time. This signifies a system failure,” he remarked.

He emphasized that his criticisms were directed at the process, rather than the Election Commission.

The three-week deferral in vote counting is anticipated to impose a substantial operational and financial strain on the state administration and law enforcement agencies.

Administrative entities will need to maintain the strongrooms and counting centers—nearly 280 locations statewide—secured until December 21 to safeguard the EVMs.

Ensuring police security for the EVMs at these sites over an extended three-week period will stretch resources. Election officers and personnel must also conduct daily inspections and sign records in the strongrooms until the counting date.

In response to the High Court's ruling, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar asserted that the elections have been disrupted, equating the state polls to a child's play.

“The state government and the Election Commission share the blame, as the Supreme Court's ruling has been misinterpreted. The government aimed to demonstrate that it has allocated 27 percent reservation to OBCs—what direction is this government taking?”

“Tomorrow's vote counting has been rescheduled to December 21. The Fadnavis government is accountable for this; creating barriers in vote counting signifies delaying elections, effectively resembling vote theft,” he stated.

“Is the government attempting to manipulate election results as it senses they may not favor it? Democracy is under siege,” he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) criticized the SEC for abruptly postponing elections in 24 Nagar Parishads and 154 wards across 76 Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats before voting was supposed to commence on December 20, suggesting the move is a calculated political strategy.

In a particularly scathing editorial in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana,' the Thackeray faction labeled the SEC a “joker” in the political arena, claiming that the government, particularly the BJP, has reduced the Election Commission to a mere tool.

“Additionally, this orchestrated chaos aims solely to benefit the BJP,” the editorial concluded.