Voting for the municipal council elections in Maharashtra faced major disruptions as Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) reportedly malfunctioned at several polling centres across the state.
In many locations, buttons for independent candidates were unresponsive, causing delays and confusion among voters. Observers noted administrative lapses at multiple polling stations, with machines reportedly failing right at the start of voting.
Tensions escalated at Ward No. 2 polling station in Raigarh’s Mahasamund Municipality, where the main contest is between Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar Rashtrawadi Party. Supporters of Jagatap and Gogawale clashed after non-functional voting machines left voters stranded, further heightening the chaos at the site.
Raigarh, Maharashtra: In Raigarh’s Mahasamund Municipality, where the main contest is between Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar Rashtrawadi Party, a clash erupted today between Jagatap and Gogawale supporters at Ward No. 2 polling station as voters were stranded due to non-functional… pic.twitter.com/U72RPoXT2g
— IANS (@ians_india) December 2, 2025
7.94 pc turnout till 9.30 am in Maharashtra local polls; 2 `bogus` voters caught, claims Cong
An estimated 7.94 per cent of voters cast their ballots in the first two hours of polling on Tuesday for elections to 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, officials said.
In Buldhana, two suspected bogus voters were caught at a polling station barely an hour and a half after voting began, according to the Maharashtra Congress. The party also alleged that Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad was bringing in people to cast fake votes in the Buldhana Municipal Council elections. Authorities have not immediately responded to the claims.
Polling began at 7:30 am and is scheduled to conclude at 5:30 pm, election officials said. By 9:30 am, 7.94 per cent of eligible voters had exercised their franchise.
A man allegedly attempted to cast a vote in the name of local resident Vaibhav Deshmukh at the Gandhi Primary School polling centre in ward no. 15 of Buldhana. The individual is said to be a resident of Kothali in Motala taluka, the Congress alleged in a statement.
Another person accompanying him was also detained, while Congress functionaries claimed that more individuals from Kothali and Ibrahimpur had been brought to Buldhana city with the intention of casting fraudulent votes.
The Opposition party alleged that Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad was bringing people from rural areas to cast “bogus” votes in the Buldhana Municipal Council elections.
Some suspected bogus voters were apprehended by Congress members and handed over to the police. However, the MLA`s son, Kunal Gaikwad, arrived at the spot and verbally abused the police personnel before allegedly helping one of the detained individuals escape, it charged.
The Congress demanded Kunal Gaikwad`s arrest and that a case be registered against him for his alleged involvement in facilitating bogus voting and obstructing government work.
The party urged the police administration to take cognisance of the matter and initiate appropriate action.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the administration for not taking any action. “We have lodged a complaint but nothing is being done,” he told reporters.
There was no immediate response from the police or the Gaikwad family on the allegations.
Voting was underway on Tuesday across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the first phase of the local body elections in Maharashtra, where 6,042 seats and 264 posts of council presidents are up for grabs.
Nearly one crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first round of the multi-tier rural and urban local bodies elections, which, as per the Supreme Court`s directives, are to be concluded by January 31, 2026.
The poll battle has become multi-dimensional with the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) locking horns, interspersed by “friendly fights” among the alliances and subtle bids for one-upmanship between the BJP and Shiv Sena.
The local body polls are being viewed as a major indicator of political sentiment in Maharashtra, a year after the BJP-led Mahayuti won 235 out of the 288 seats in the state assembly elections.
These polls have already witnessed significant political manoeuvring, with the ruling Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar`s Nationalist Congress Party facing off against the Opposition MVA of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar`s NCP (SP) and Congress.
The EC has introduced a verification system marking suspected duplicate voters with double stars on lists, requiring strict identity checks at polling stations. It also launched a mobile application providing information about candidates and voters, including affidavits of candidates.
Votes will be counted on Wednesday.
