Politicos involved in lapses at two ZP polling booths

Two EVM lapses occurred during Zilla Parishad elections in Maharashtra, with minors entering booths, raising concerns over voting protocol and security.

Two incidents of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) lapses were reported at polling stations in Akluj and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar during voting for the Zilla Parishad elections on Saturday. In one case, a ZP candidate brought a child into the voting booth, where the minor allegedly pressed an EVM button. In another incident, an MLA was reported to have brought a child inside the polling station, where indelible ink was applied to the child’s finger.

Two incidents of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) lapses were reported at polling stations in Akluj and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar during voting for the Zilla Parishad elections on Saturday. (HT)

As per the election rules, only registered voters are permitted near the EVM.

In the first incident, a minor boy, accompanying his father—who is a candidate in the ZP polls—entered the voting booth at the Yashwantnagar polling station in Akluj and pressed the button on an EVM, prompting concerns among voters and election staff.

Rahul Bidwe, state spokesperson, Rayatkranti Sanghatana, has raised objections and said, “Today’s incident is nothing short of an attack on democracy, and we strongly condemn it in the harshest terms.”

The incident has raised questions about polling protocol and EVM security, though officials present at the centre did not immediately register any formal complaint.

Responding to the incident, the man said, “His (son’s) mother is an election candidate, and hence he came with us to the polling station. We thought he would get firsthand experience about the voting process.”

The minor’s mother is a panchayat samiti candidate of the National Congress Party (NCP) from Sangramnagar area of the Akluj, while the man himself is the ZP candidate of the NCP from Sadashivnagar area of the Akluj.

In the second incident reported at a polling centre in Pachod in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, during the voting, when Shiv Sena MLA entered the voting booth with his minor son. Video clips and eyewitness accounts show the MLA bringing his child inside the booth and applying indelible ink to both his own and his son’s fingers, before operating the EVM to cast his ballot.

Responding to this, Dilip Swami, district collector, confirmed that a detailed inquiry would be conducted. “The circumstances would be reviewed, and that action could be taken against the presiding officer or staff alleged to have allowed the child into the booth next to the voting machine,” he said.