EVM Glitches and Voter List Errors Mar Marathwada Civic Polls
Serious questions emerged about election preparedness during Thursday's civic polls across five municipal corporations in the Marathwada region. Multiple instances of EVM glitches, deceased persons appearing on voter lists, and complaints of votes being cast before electors reached polling booths marked the election day.
Widespread EVM Malfunctions Disrupt Voting
Voting faced significant disruptions at several polling stations in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar due to malfunctioning EVMs. Polling booths at Gujarati Kanya Vidyalaya in Shahgunj, Khara Kunwa, and other locations experienced interruptions when machines failed to function properly. The voting process resumed only after officials brought replacement EVMs, causing delays of nearly an hour at each affected booth.
Minor EVM glitches also surfaced in other municipal corporations across the region. Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, and Nanded Waghala all reported technical issues with electronic voting machines during the civic elections.
Deceased Names Persist on Voter Lists
The accuracy of voter lists came under intense scrutiny despite repeated assurances from election authorities about updated electoral rolls. Names of deceased individuals continued to appear, including prominent cases like Moreshwar Save, a former two-time MP and father of minister Atul Save, who passed away in 2015 but remained on the voter list.
Voter list discrepancies extended beyond Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. In Parbhani and Nanded Waghala, polling agents raised objections about mismatches between voter slips and electoral roll entries. Jalna and Latur witnessed voters initially being turned away due to clerical errors before senior officials intervened to allow them to vote.
Serious Allegations of Pre-Cast Votes
More troubling allegations emerged from several wards in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Voters claimed their ballots were already cast before they reached polling stations. In Ward 14 at Bagwan Hall, a candidate representing the Raybhan Jadhav Aghadi panel alleged fraudulent polling of his wife's vote.
Candidate Aamer Pathan stated that when he arrived at the booth with his wife Yasmin Pathan, officials informed them her vote was already recorded. "I want an FIR for dereliction of duty to be registered against the polling officials," Pathan demanded.
A similar incident occurred at Malik Amber School polling booth. Engineer Mohammed Tareq Siddiqui claimed his wife's vote was cast before they reached the station. Siddiqui raised the issue with municipal commissioner G Sreekanth, after which his wife was permitted to cast a challenge vote.
Election Authorities Respond to Complaints
Election authorities maintained they were addressing all complaints according to established procedures. They emphasized that additional staff and technical teams remained on standby to resolve issues promptly throughout the voting process.
The administration's claims of preparedness faced serious challenges as these multiple irregularities surfaced across the Marathwada region. Voters expressed frustration with the technical and administrative problems that marred what should have been a smooth civic election process.
