EC to issue duplicate voter cards to those hit by Maharashtra floods

More than 6 lakh residents of 480 villages from the two districts lost their belonging including their documents in the floods.

The state branch of the Election Commission (EC) will undertake a special drive to issue duplicate voter identification cards for locals from the flood-affected areas of Sangli and Kolhapur districts, ahead of the Assembly elections, which are likely to be held in October.

Mumbai corporation workers cleaning the street after water level recede in Sangli. (Uday Deolekar/ Hindustan Times)

More than 6 lakh residents of 480 villages from the two districts lost their belonging including their documents in the floods.

“We have asked the collectors to assess the losses in the polling stations and of the voters while conducting panchnamas. The voters will be issued duplicate cards if they lost it in the floods. There would be no issue pertaining to the submission of the documents required for the voter cards as we have the details of the registered voters. For new voters, we have extended the online voter registrations till August 31,” said Dilip Shinde, additional chief electoral officer (CEO), Maharashtra.

EC is also assessing the condition of the polling stations affected by floods. “Hundreds of schools which were used as polling stations have been severely damaged in flooding. If the polling stations are not reconstructed by the elections, we will have to arrange for the temporary polling stations. The decision about it will be taken once the assessment of losses is completed,” said an official from the CEO office.

Though Raj Thackeray had demanded to defer the Assembly polls in the wake of the floods in, the EC said it has not received the demand from any other party. “The EC has extended the deadline for voters’ registration. There is no question of deferment of the polls as we have ample time to get prepared ,” the official said.

Shiv Sena wins MLC polls in Maharashtra

Shiv Sena bagged the legislative Council seat from the Aurangabad-Jalna local bodies on Thursday for the elections held on August 19. The counting of votes was held on Thursday. Sena’s Ambadas Danve defeated Congress’ Baburav Kulkarni by 418 votes. After the gain of a seat, Shiv Sena’s strength has increased to 13.