In a sharp escalation of political pressure ahead of the Maharashtra Legislature’s winter session, senior Congress leader and former state party president Nana Patole has openly challenged the ruling Mahayuti government to initiate impeachment proceedings against the State Election Commission (SEC) for allegedly mishandling the schedule of local body elections.

Addressing reporters, Patole declared, “If the government won’t impeach the State Election Commission under Article 243, then we in the Opposition are fully prepared to bring the motion ourselves.” His remarks came after the SEC abruptly postponed elections in 24 municipal councils and panchayats, along with 154 wards, moving the polling date from December 2 to December 20. The SEC cited court directives issued after November 23 as the reason for the delay.

Patole insisted the decision raised serious questions about transparency and neutrality. He pointed out that even Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in an earlier reaction, seemed “surprised” by the developments, which Patole said “only confirms what Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have been warning about for months.”

Responding to BJP election in-charge Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s accusation that the Opposition was politicising the issue, Patole fired back: “This is not politics. This is our responsibility to safeguard the democratic structure. When election authorities behave irregularly, the Legislature must act.”

He made it clear that if the Mahayuti government fails to take up the matter during the winter session beginning December 8 in Nagpur, the Congress will independently submit a formal proposal to the Speaker for discussion. Patole described the move as a “patriotic duty, not a partisan battle.”

Meanwhile, the Opposition received further reinforcement from Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, who urged that both Houses of the Legislature must appoint Leaders of the Opposition before the session begins. Jadhav stated, “Democracy cannot function on one side of the scale. Recognising LoPs in both the Assembly and the Council is essential to prevent misuse of power.”