Maharashtra Polls to Witness Live Webcasting from 9,673 Booths

The Election Commission has decided to conduct live webcasting from over 9,000 polling stations, including sensitive ones, during the next week'sMaharashtra Assembly elections, an official said on Monday, October 14. The state polls will also for the first time witness the use of VVPAT (voter-verifiable paper audit trail) machines, he said.

READ |SEE THE SIGN! NCP-Dawood Gang 'business Link' OUT; All Documents Here

Live webcasting

The EC is using the live webcasting system to deter miscreants from creating problems at polling stations and to increase transparency in the voting process, the election official said."Live webcasting would be carried out from 9,673polling stations in Maharashtra," the EC said in a statement.

READ | Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Targets Cong NCP Alliance

VVPAT to be used 

Elections for the 288 Assembly seats in the state will be held at 96,661 polling stations on October 21. The EC has planned to use 1,79,895 ballot units and1,26,505 control units, the official said. Also, for the first time, VVPAT (voter-verifiable paper audit trail) machines will be used in the Maharashtra polls. A total of 1,35,021 VVPAT machines will be used to increase transparency, the official added.

READ |Maharashtra: 'Congress And NCP Will Have No Future', Says Vikhe Patil

Maharashtra, along with Harayana will go to polls on Monday, October 21 and the votes will be counted on October 24. Currently, the Devendra Fadnavis led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power. The campaigning for the elections has been going on strong for the past month with various rallies being held by top politicians from all parties. The Maharashtra elections will also see Aditya Thackeray make his election debut as he is going to contest from the Worli constituency. He will be the first person from the Thackeray family to contest an election. The BJP has announced an alliance with the Shiv Sena, whereas the Indian National Congress (INC) has returned to an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

READ | Sanjay Nirupam Attacks Milind Deora For Skipping Rahul Gandhi Rally