Mumbai: With voting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 29 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra set for Thursday, a fresh controversy has erupted over the introduction of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) alongside Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has sharply criticised the State Election Commission (SEC), accusing it of opacity and bias. He alleged that no political parties were informed or shown the new device in advance, questioning the sudden deployment amid concerns over ageing EVMs. “EVMs are old, so new machines are being brought in. What is this machine? What does it look like? What does it do?” Thackeray demanded, adding, “They would rather not show it to political parties. There’s so much confusion. What kind of election is this? What’s going on?”
PADU, manufactured by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), is a small backup device connected to the EVM’s control unit. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani clarified in a press conference that PADU serves as an auxiliary display for larger visibility during voting and acts as an emergency backup if the main control unit’s display fails. Importantly, it does not print paper slips like VVPAT — it is purely a precautionary measure with 140 units deployed for Mumbai.
The Opposition, including voices from Shiv Sena (UBT), has echoed suspicions, demanding greater transparency in the run-up to these high-stakes civic polls, which come after a prolonged delay.
As Mumbai braces for a crucial electoral battle, this PADU row has intensified debates over electoral fairness and technological interventions.
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