The polling for the high-stakes elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, concluded on Thursday in Maharashtra amid sporadic clashes and an uproar over ink tampering claims. According to State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare, the state recorded a voter turnout somewhere between 46 and 50 per cent.
The polling, considered to be a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena and the Thackeray brothers, was held for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in the 29 civic bodies from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, and more than 25,000 police personnel were deployed for it, as per the officials. The counting of votes will now take place on January 16 (Friday).
Uproar over ink tampering claims
While the voting was being held, several videos went viral on social media showing ordinary voters and some politicians using Acetone to wipe off the 'indelible' ink applied on their fingers after voting. This gave a chance to the opposition to attack the SEC and the Maharashtra government, with Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray terming it an attempt to murder democracy.
His cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also targeted the SEC and claimed that poll officials were using a new pen, which is getting wiped off easily.
However, the SEC rejected the allegations but said it would conduct a thorough probe into it. "The SEC has decided to conduct a probe... it will cover not only the ink quality but also the videos which were circulated throughout the day. The probe into videos is to ascertain whether the ink was applied on the finger while voting or in a mischievous way," Waghmare said.
Clashes in Dhule; EVM glitches in Pune
Clashes were also reported in Dhule where a mob attacked the residence of Shiv Sena leader Manoj More at Krushi colony in Deopur on the issue of withdrawal of candidature. A group barged into More's house, pelted stones and damaged vehicles, allegedly over a dispute between him and BJP leader Vilas Shinde on withdrawing candidature.
Later, the officials said they registered a case supporters of More and Shinde under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). However, the incident stalled the polling process for an hour there. Meanwhile, sporadic glitches in EVMs were also reported in Pune, but the machines were replaced promptly, said officials.
