India, Dec. 2 -- Leaders across party lines, including the BJP, on Monday sharply criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) for its eleventh-hour decision to postpone elections to more than 24 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, and to defer polling in 154 seats across 76 civic bodies. The announcement, made barely a day before voting, triggered rare and direct censure from the ruling establishment as well as the Opposition.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking for the ruling alliance, took the unusual step of publicly chastising the SEC, calling the move "completely wrong and against the law". This is believed to be among the few instances in recent years where a sitting chief minister has openly confronted t...