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Congress alleges BJP interfered in voter list at Bhavani Peth office, BJP denies

BJP’s Namdev Malvade denied the allegations and said that they had gone to the office to discuss civic issues.

2 min readPuneUpdated: Dec 9, 2025 10:15 PM IST

The Congress in Pune alleged on Friday that BJP officebearers influenced and changed voter lists at the Bhavani Peth regional office. CCTV footage shared allegedly from the office dated October 31 shows BJP members entering and discussing what appear to be voter lists with the official present there. BJP’s Namdev Malvade denied the allegations and said that they had gone to the office to discuss civic issues.

Former Pune Municipal Corporation corporator and General Secretary Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Sanjay Balgude in a press conference said, “A major scandal of changing voter lists in the backdrop of Municipal Corporation elections has come to light in Pune. While confidential work was being done before publishing the election voter list, some BJP office bearers have made changes in the voter list according to their wish at the Bhavani Peth regional office in Pune.”

He demanded that the Chief Election Commissioner of the state, Pune Municipal Commissioner, as well as the District Collector of Pune should conduct an impartial and transparent investigation into BJP office bearers and former corporators, and ‘corrupt PMC officials’. Balgude said BJP members including former corporator Ajay Khedekar and Namdev Malvade are visible entering the office in the video. Balgude further demanded that CCTV footage of the regional office from October 31 to November 11 should be seized and investigated. Advocate Asim Sarode and Dr Vishwambhar Chaudhary were also present at the press conference.

BJP’s Malvade denied the allegations and said, “We had gone to the office to raise various civic issues like sanitation that were brought to us by citizens. The voter list work was going on there so we just had some discussion on it. I deny any allegations of interference in the voter list. We have ourselves raised objections on the current voter list, why would we do that if we had control over it already. These people raise objections on false issues but are never seen doing work for the people.”

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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