E-Paper
EVM machines found at dhaba in Solapur district
Polling for the rural local body elections was conducted peacefully on Saturday in the Solapur district. However, after 11 pm, two sealed EVM units were found at a roadside hotel on the outskirts of Mohol
Two reserved Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) control units were discovered near a roadside dhaba close to Mohol in Solapur district late on Saturday night, leading to a controversy during the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti voting process, officials said.
Polling for the rural local body elections was conducted peacefully on Saturday in the Solapur district. However, after 11 pm, two sealed EVM units were found at a dhaba (roadside hotel) on the outskirts of Mohol, prompting confusion and alarm among local residents and political workers.
The incident quickly drew attention when local leaders, including NCP district president Umesh Patil and activists from political parties such as the ShivSena, were informed about the machines. Some party workers staged a protest at the location, demanding clarification and immediate action.
Upon receiving information, election officials, the Mohol Election Officer and police personnel rushed to the site. Officials confirmed the machines were sealed and marked as “reserved”, meaning they were standby devices and had not been used for voting during the day’s polling. The machines were sealed on site by the administration, and a preliminary inquiry has been launched to determine how and why the units ended up at the eatery.
The district administration has assured that all EVMs used for recording votes had already been deposited in secure strong rooms by 10.30 pm on Saturday, and the reserved units were never activated for voting.
“A panchnama was prepared in the presence of all concerned, confirming that the machines were reserve units. The machines have since been sealed and deposited in the government strong room,” the SEC said
It, however, clarified that no irregularity or malpractice occurred during polling since these were reserve EVMs.
According to information provided by the Solapur district collector and the election returning officer of Mohol, the polling process was conducted peacefully on February 7 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm at all 220 polling stations in the taluka, it said.
Local political workers, however, continue to question the circumstances of the discovery, while officials maintain that the reserved machines were being transported for official duty and were temporarily stored before being accounted for in the post-poll procedures.
