Scuffles, clashes reported amid civic poll vote counting in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jan 16 (PTI) Scuffles and incidents of unlawful assembly were reported from several parts of Maharashtra on Friday amid announcement of results of polls to 29 municipal corporations, police said.

In Mumbai's ward no. 146, Satish Rajguru, a candidate of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, was beaten up by Shiv Sena supporters, an official said.

In Thane, supporters of Shiv Sena candidate Minakshi Shinde clashed with backers of an independent candidate during the counting process, while a group of supporters attempted to stop buses carrying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) near the Manpada counting centre, he added.

Police resorted to cane charge to disperse supporters of a political party outside the Warehouse Corporation counting centre in Ahilyanagar as they were violating prohibitory orders, the official said.

"In Amaravati, a scuffle broke out between two groups outside the Sut Girni counting centre. In another incident in Amaravati, a group of NCP supporters assembled outside the residence of an AIMIM candidate at Nagpuri Gate in Lalkhadi chowk, hurling abuses and creating chaos that triggered panic in the area," he said.

A woman police constable was injured in a clash between supporters of two political parties at the Garware Stadium counting centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), he said. Police used force to scatter the crowd gathered outside the centre, he said.

Senior police officials were monitoring the situation, and additional forces were deployed at counting centres to prevent further untoward incidents, the official added. PTI DC BNM