Maharashtra civic polls see bogus voting and cash distribution allegations, EVM glitches, clashes

Mumbai, Jan 15 (PTI) Polls to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra on Thursday saw clashes among groups, allegations of bogus voting and distribution of cash as well as glitches in EVMs.

Officials, however, insisted there was no serious incident in Mumbai, the largest of these corporations and the most closely fought.

There were only simple model code of conduct-related incidents in the country's commercial capital, a police official said.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) developed snags in some wards in Nagpur, Amravati, Shirgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Kanya Vidyalaya), Akola (Pink Polling Center), and Dhule, an official said.

Incidents of bogus voting were reported in Sangli, Virar, Thane (Kajuwadi), Malegaon (Ward 9), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Ward 24), Pune (Ward 3 and Ward 40), Ahilyanagar, and Pimpri Chinchwad (Golande School), he added. In Golande School polling station, there was chaos after a rumour did the rounds that the centre had been shut over bogus voting.

Allegations of bogus voting were also made by various groups in Pune and Ahilyanagar, the official pointed out.

"In Amravati, Shiv Sena candidates clashed with another group. Police intervened and removed everyone from the spot. A clash took place between BJP workers at Manvel Pada polling station in Virar, including verbal abuse directed at a voter. A scuffle was reported between Shiv Sena and BJP workers at Deolali polling station in Nashik," the official said.

A dispute broke out between BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) groups over allegations of money distribution at Ichalkaranji, while an EVM was damaged in a fight between two groups in Dhule.

"On Thursday morning, two groups had a scuffle in a school in ward number 18 in Dhule, following which some persons entered the polling booth and damaged an EVM. The poll process was stalled for over an hour due to this. It restarted after a new EVM was put in place," the official said.

In Akola, candidates of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP charged at each other, while their supporters indulged in a verbal spat, he official added.

"A physical fight broke out between AIMIM and Congress workers at Solapur. In Bhandup, a clash occurred between candidates of Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT). Supporters of two candidates scuffled in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, resulting in some sustaining serious injuries," he said.

A case was registered against the husband of a BJP candidate after a photo of the EVM while he was voting went viral on social media, the official said. PTI DC BNM