Mumbai: Counting of votes for elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra will begin at 10 am on Sunday, a day after polling concluded amid widespread reports of violence, alleged bogus voting, and cash distribution. The elections are being closely watched as a precursor to the much larger municipal corporation polls scheduled next month.
Polling for the posts of presidents and members in 23 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, along with elections to 143 vacant member seats, ended at 5.30 pm on Saturday. Key civic bodies that went to the polls include Baramati in Pune district, considered a political stronghold with high symbolic value and Ambernath in Thane district.
The voting process on Saturday was marked by several incidents of unrest and alleged electoral malpractices across different parts of the state. In Ambernath, tensions escalated when two groups clashed, leading police to resort to a lathi-charge to control the situation. According to a Hindustan Times report, as part of the security response, police detained 208 women who had reportedly arrived from nearby Bhiwandi.
Opposition parties alleged that these women were brought in to carry out impersonation and bogus voting. However, the women denied the accusations, claiming they had come to attend a public meeting. Police said the matter is under investigation.
Man Found Carrying ₹35,000 Cash; FIR Filed
In another incident linked to suspected inducements, a person was found in possession of Rs 35,000 in cash, leading to the registration of a first information report. Reports of clashes between workers of the Shiv Sena and the Congress also emerged from other polling areas, further highlighting the charged atmosphere during voting.
Large-scale election-related irregularities were reported from Dharambad in Nanded district. According to allegations, several women were confined in a hall and allegedly paid to abstain from voting. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Shiv Sena of orchestrating the incident.
Nanded district collector Rahul Kardile confirmed that the administration had received intelligence inputs regarding cash distribution. “We had information that money was being distributed in a hall, but the people dispersed before our team reached the spot. An FIR has been registered against the hall management for violating prohibitory orders,” he said, as quoted by HT.
Sunday’s vote counting is expected to set the tone for the next major political contest in Maharashtra. The State Election Commission announced that elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 other municipal corporations will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16. A total of 2,869 seats will be contested, with nearly 3.48 crore voters eligible to participate.
The upcoming municipal corporation elections, particularly the high-stakes BMC polls, are expected to be fiercely contested amid allegations of vote chori and intense internal rivalry between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
