The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections have delivered a sweeping victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while several prominent leaders from other parties have faced defeat. In the aftermath of the results, defeated candidates have alleged irregularities in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), similar to claims raised earlier during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
On Monday, in Ward No. 1 (Kalas-Dhanori-Lohegaon), a defeated candidate led a protest and allegedly vandalised an EVM model as part of the agitation. The protest was organised by members and supporters of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, who accused the authorities of ignoring repeated complaints related to the functioning of EVMs during the municipal polls.
The agitation took place near the Vitthal-Rukmini temple in Dhanori, where local residents joined party workers in large numbers. Shiv Sena office-bearers Satish Mhaske, Vivek Bansode and Girish Jaywal were at the forefront of the protest. Demonstrators were seen burning a model EVM and damaging it with a hammer, expressing their anger and describing it as electoral malpractice.
Addressing the gathering, Mhaske said, “The agitation is being carried out in the Dhanori area of Ward No. 1. We demand the complete removal of EVMs and a return to elections conducted through ballot papers. Large-scale irregularities took place during the PMC elections, and despite lodging multiple complaints, the Election Commission has failed to take cognisance of the issues raised.”
The protesters demanded that free and fair elections were not possible as long as EVMs were in use. They further added that democratic processes would continue to be questioned unless EVMs were scrapped and traditional ballot paper voting was reinstated.
