Clashes mar polling day

MAHAPOLL | Polling was marred by incidents of vandalism at Parli and a few places in Beed; it also saw rival party supporters clashing in some places

- Prajakta Pol

The Assembly elections in Maharashtra, marking the first after significant political changes in the state, saw intense competition between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Mahayuti alliances. While voting began smoothly in some areas on Wednesday, several incidents of unrest, including violence, money distribution, EVM malfunctions and heated allegations overshadowed the process in other locations.

Thane

In Thane’s KopriPachpakhadi constituency, a case has been registered against Kedar Dighe, the MVA candidate opposing Eknath Shinde. Dighe was allegedly caught distributing alcohol and money from a vehicle by Shinde’s supporters. Based on a complaint by Shinde supporter Varsha Bhosale, the police have lodged a case against Dighe.

Pune

In the Indapur constituency, NCP candidate Datta Bharane was seen intimidating and bullying opponents at a polling station. A video of this incident has gone viral. Bharane allegedly threatened opposition workers and even used disrespectful language toward police officers. NCP(SP)'s Harshvardhan Patil is pitted against Bharane.

Beed