Maharashtra awaits Centre's green signal for an open ballot for Council election
Mumbai:The Maharashtra Government is awaiting the Centre's nod for its proposal to amend the Representation of the People Act to ensure an open ballot system for the Legislative Council elections. Accroding to a Maharashtra Government
official, an amendment to the Act would facilitate an open ballot for electing
around 30 of the 78 seats in the council Maharashtra is one of the six states
in the country, having a Legislative Council. Earlier in 2007, the Maharashtra
Assembly approved the proposal for doing away with the secret ballot in Council
polls. Political scientists feel that doing away with the secret ballot and introducing
the open ballot system would result in a political party having control over its
MLAs as they would have to show a ballot to the Whip or representative.
