Voting is underway today for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Citizens have started gathering in large numbers at polling stations to exercise their right to vote. On the other hand, complaints of malfunctioning EVM machines are emerging from many polling centres across the state. A similar problem with EVMs was observed in Pune, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Ankush Kakade has raised an objection.
EVM malfunction
After a gap of nine years, Pune residents are voting today in the municipal corporation elections. Voting is being held in Pune city to elect 165 corporators from 41 wards. Voting started at 7.30 am today, and complaints of EVM malfunctions are coming to light from many places. In Pune, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Ankush Kakade has also objected to the functioning of the EVMs.
According to Kakade, the light usually illuminates every time a button is pressed, but after three votes were cast, the light did not illuminate for the fourth vote, indicating that the voting did not take place properly. He also alleged that the time displayed on the EVM machine was 7:44 am, which is 14 minutes more than the actual time, as the voting start time was 7.30 am.
EVMs shut off in Nashik
Meanwhile, complaints of EVM machines shutting down have also surfaced in Pune and Nashik. In Pune, at St. Hilda's School in Guruwar Peth, the voting process has not started due to a machine malfunction. The process of replacing the machine is underway, and voters have expressed anger as the first hour of voting has been wasted. A similar incident has been reported in Nashik. In Nashik, the EVM malfunctioned right at the beginning of voting. As a result, voting has not yet started in room number 8 of Modern High School in ward number 24.
Similar ordeal in Jalgaon
In Jalgaon city, a chaotic situation arose for some time at a polling station before the start of voting. Candidate representatives alleged that the arrangement of EVM machines at polling station number 15 of the Municipal Urdu School was incorrect. They demanded that the arrangement of the EVM machines, which was not in accordance with the rules, be corrected immediately.
This led to a verbal argument between the election staff and the candidate representatives. After some time, election officials intervened, accepted the demands of the candidate representatives, and the EVM machines were rearranged correctly.
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