Fri Nov 07 17:08:54 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text:

A Congress leader in Maharashtra has filed a petition with the Bombay High Court challenging the State Election Commission’s (SEC) decision to hold upcoming local body elections without VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines. The petition argues that without VVPAT, EVMs are unverifiable, violating the right to know if a vote has been correctly recorded. The petitioner claims the SEC’s oral announcement of this decision was arbitrary, illegal, and lacks transparency. They also point to delays in holding local body elections and the SEC’s failure to provide a written order for its decision, despite requests via RTI. The petition cites a Supreme Court precedent that deems VVPAT an “indispensable requirement” for fair elections and argues for either VVPAT deployment or a return to ballot papers. The High Court has issued a notice to the SEC, directing it to respond to the petition next week.

Here’s the rewritten text as a news article:

Maharashtra SEC Faces High Court Challenge Over VVPAT Omission in Local Polls

MUMBAI – November 7, 2025 – The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a notice to the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) following a petition challenging its decision to conduct upcoming local body elections without Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The petition, filed by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, alleges the SEC’s decision undermines the integrity of the electoral process and violates voters’ constitutional rights.

Gudadhe argues that without VVPAT, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) become “unverifiable,” leaving voters without a mechanism to confirm their vote was correctly recorded. The petition claims the SEC’s decision, announced orally in August, was “arbitrary, illegal and beyond its authority” and lacks transparency, as no written order has been provided despite an RTI request.

The petitioner also points to significant delays in holding local body elections, citing constitutional mandates and Supreme Court directives. He argued that the SEC cited a partial stay by the Supreme Court in December 2021 to justify the delay, while the Supreme Court, in May 2025, directed that polls be completed within four months

The petition urges the court to direct the SEC to either deploy VVPAT machines with every EVM or revert to using ballot papers, referencing a 2013 Supreme Court judgment that deems VVPAT an “indispensable requirement of free and fair elections.” The petitioner further contends that existing election conduct rules are designed for ballot paper voting and lack provisions for EVM deployment in local body polls.

The High Court has directed the SEC to file its response to the petition by next week. The outcome of the case could significantly impact the transparency and perceived fairness of the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra.

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