PUNE: The State Election Commission (SEC) would follow the Dec 2014 directive issued by then state election commissioner Nand Lal for handling unopposed wins for the municipal corporation elections, where over 60 candidates from 29 corporations are likely to be elected unopposed, senior SEC officials told TOI on Saturday.SEC directed all municipal commissioners to submit reports on unopposed candidates promptly and will follow up with them from next week. The final count is currently being compiled from all corporations, SEC officials said.
“We are strictly following the 2014 order. Reports from municipal commissioners will undergo verification before unopposed candidates are officially declared elected. This ensures transparency and compliance with election norms,” an SEC official said. With elections scheduled for Jan 15, commissioners are expected to submit their reports promptly after thorough inquiries, the official added.This development comes as the state prepares for elections to 29 municipal corporations on Jan 15, where 15,931 candidates are contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards. While most contests are multi-cornered, the number of unopposed candidates reflects areas where political agreements or lack of opposition have led to single-candidate races.Officials stressed that SEC verification is crucial to uphold the integrity of the polls. “Even if only one candidate remains, we must ensure there is no coercion or irregularity before declaring them elected,” the official said.Municipal commissioners must submit detailed reports on all unopposed candidates before the SEC formally declares them elected. The order noted that during local body polls, it is common for only one candidate to remain after others withdraw their names.
