Polling for the first phase of 264 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats across Maharashtra on Tuesday saw a series of clashes between political workers amid allegations of bogus voting and police inaction across several districts. There were reports of clashes between the workers of BJP and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and similar incidents between the ruling Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar), apart from tiffs between ruling and opposition parties across the state.
In a few districts like Nandurbar, Ahmednagar and Washim, clashes took place outside booths between the ruling alliance parties, while stone-pelting was reported from Beed between the activists of NCP led by Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
In Buldhana, Congress alleged that bogus voters were voting on behalf of Shiv Sena candidates. The party alleged that at the Gandhi Primary School polling centre for Ward No. 15 in Buldhana Municipal Council polls, a man was caught after casting a vote in the name of a person named Vaibhav Deshmukh from Kothali, Motala Taluka. Another person was with him. It is reported that people have been brought from Kothali and Ibrahimpur to cast fraudulent votes. Further, bogus voters were reportedly brought in two vehicles to Buldhana. The party demanded that the police take serious note of the issue. Buldhana is the home district of Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal. In another incident in the same district, Congress said Kunal Gaikwad, son of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, helped a bogus voter escape. Congress leaders have asked the police to investigate.
In Hingoli, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s MLA Santosh Bangar was booked by police for allegedly violating the election rules. The action came after a video surfaced in which Bangar was inside a polling booth in Kalamnuri guiding a woman voter while she pressed the EVM button, and raising slogans in favour of Bal Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and using his mobile phone. Such actions are banned inside a voting booth. The district election officer later confirmed the FIR.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Bangar’s behaviour, saying “elected representatives should show responsibility during elections.” Incidentally, BJP and Sena are contesting against each other in Hingoli and a relative of Bangar is contesting for the presidential post against the BJP candidate.
In Jalgaon’s Muktainagar, Union Minister Rakhsha Khadse was seen arguing with police officers after a BJP candidate was stopped near a booth and was not being allowed to enter. She insisted that the same rules should apply to all candidates and told officers that if they could not handle the situation, they should step aside for another team. The argument created tension in the area and workers of BJP and Shinde-led Sena had a face-off for a brief time. Around the same time, two political rivals, led by Eknath Khadse and Shiv Sena MLA Chandrakant Patil, came face-to-face at a polling booth, leading to another round of accusations. Khadse said Patil’s vehicle overtook him in a threatening way, while Patil replied that Khadse often blocks the road himself.
Bogus voting was reported from other places as well. In Barshi, MLA Dilip Sopal filed a complaint with the State Election Commission saying that a man from Jamgaon (A) used a fake Aadhaar card to vote. Sopal asked that a criminal case be filed. In Shirdi, a woman named Shobha Shinde said she found that someone had already cast vote in her name when she reached the booth. This created an argument at the polling station. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Bhausaheb Wakchoure later questioned officials about the incident.
In Pandharpur, Tirthkshetra Vikas Aghadi candidate Pranita Bhalke objected after seeing a ballot paper pasted above the EVM that she said had a mark near the BJP’s lotus symbol. She also claimed that voter slips with the same symbol were found inside the booth and alleged that police were distributing them. Poll officials checked the EVM and papers after her complaint.
In Wardha’s Pulgaon, a BJP worker was accused of taking an elderly woman’s Aadhaar card a day before polling. The worker had allegedly promised to ‘help’ her vote. The card was returned after a protest by local residents, and police were called to calm the situation.
In Beed’s Majalgaon, charges of distributing money in Ward 5 led to a clash between two groups of NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. Police reached the spot and told both sides to step back and used force to control the situation. In Yeola, Ajit Pawar-led NCP workers and Shiv Sena supporters clashed outside the booth after an argument over access to the centre.
Meanwhile, in Malvan, police seized Rs 1.5 lakh from a car allegedly linked to a local BJP functionary on Monday night. The episode triggered a protest by Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane, who accused the BJP of distributing money and the police of inaction. Rane sat in protest at the Malvan police station and later said the authorities had failed to register an FIR even after “clear evidence.” He announced that he would approach the court and also hold the Election Commission accountable.
