EVM glitches and clashes disrupt Pune and PCMC polls

Low enthusiasm over voting administrative lapses and technical glitches overshadowed polling for the Pune and PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporations on Thursday turning what was expected to be a routine civic exercise into a day marked by confusion chaos and complaints The fourmember ward restructuring coupled with missing names in electoral rolls and repeated EVMrelated issues left many voters frustrated and disillusionedChaos at polling centresSeveral voters complained that their names were missing from the electoral rolls at designated polling centres while others discovered that votes had allegedly already been cast in their names Reports of malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines EVM clashes between party workers allegations of proxy voting and inadequate polling arrangements surfaced from multiple locations across Pune and PimpriChinchwadEVM glitch reported at PCMC polling centre PICSBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTAt several polling booths four ballot units were placed inside a single room leading to visible confusion mdash especially among senior citizens Poor lighting conditions further aggravated the situation making it difficult for voters to clearly identify candidate names and symbols As a result long queues formed at many centres delaying the voting process The new fourmember ward structure emerged as a major point of confusion forcing election staff to repeatedly guide voters through the processlsquoVotes already castrsquoIn multiple cases voters reported that ballots had already been cast in their names Such voters were asked to fill out additional forms before being allowed to vote consuming significant time and adding to the frustration Several citizens also complained that their polling booths had been changed without adequate prior intimation triggering anger and heated exchanges at some centres Some reportedly returned without casting their votes while others continued searching for their assigned booths The situation has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties who termed the management ldquoshoddyrdquo and questioned the preparedness of the administrationDilip Poind PCMC voter who came out to vote but found a vote has already been cast under his name ldquoI took a halfday leave to vote When I reached the booth I was told someone had already cast a vote in my name I had to fill out a form and the entire process took a lot of time My day was wasted in traffic jams and confusion over the voter listrdquo he said An elderly couple Vasant Bhosale and Vanita Bhosale also voters from PCMC faced a similar ordeal ldquoWhen I checked the voter list I found that someone had already voted and signed under my namerdquo said VanitaEVM glitchesSporadic EVM glitches were reported during the initial phase of polling Election officials said 15 to 20 EVMs developed technical errors shortly after polling began but were replaced as per protocol Expressing concern NCPSP leader Ankush Kakade claimed that an indicator light failed to glow after he cast his vote and demanded a formal complaint be registeredldquoIn some places lights blinked incorrectly while in others they did not blink at all after voting These issues are suspicious and must be clarified by the State Election Commissionrdquo said another NCPSP leader PCMC Additional Commissioner and poll in charge Omprakash Divte assured that replacement machines were promptly installed Allegations of EVM irregularities also surfaced at Shivaji Maratha High School polling centre in ward 25D where it was claimed that pressing the NCP button failed to register votes allegedly benefiting the BJP Following objections the electoral officer ordered 360 votes to be kept reserved for verificationControversies and clashesAn alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct was reported from ward 18 in PCMC where Nilesh Doke husband of BJP candidate Aparna Doke allegedly recorded a video while casting his vote and shared it on social mediaTensions erupted in ward 33 Dhayari after an alleged violent clash between BJP leader Kishor Pokale and NCP leader Rahul Pokale over accusations of cash distribution The scuffle escalated into a physical fight prompting police interventionConfusion also prevailed as the administration failed to publish the final list of candidates even after nomination scrutiny withdrawal and symbol allotment Conflicting official responses and missing information on the PMC website raised serious concerns over transparency and the credibility of the election process