The first phase of polling for 264 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats across Maharashtra on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, was significantly disrupted by a series of violent clashes between political workers and widespread allegations of fraudulent voting and police inaction.
Widespread Violence and Booth Clashes
Reports of confrontations emerged from multiple districts, painting a picture of a volatile election day. Workers from the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena clashed, as did activists from the ruling Shiv Sena and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar. Similar tiffs between ruling and opposition parties were reported statewide.
In districts like Nandurbar, Ahmednagar, and Washim, clashes erupted outside polling booths involving parties from the ruling alliance itself. The tension escalated to stone-pelting in Beed between supporters of the NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
A particularly serious incident unfolded in Mahad's Nawa Nagar area, where supporters of Shiv Sena and the NCP (SP) clashed. The fight began after an argument between backers of Sushant Jabre and Vikas Gogavale. Jabre's group alleged assault and vehicle vandalism by Gogavale's supporters. Panic heightened with claims that a revolver was flashed during the altercation, necessitating a large police deployment to control the situation.
Multiple Allegations of Bogus Voting
Accusations of electoral fraud were rampant, with Congress leading several complaints. In Buldhana, the home district of Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal, the party alleged bogus voters were casting ballots for Shiv Sena candidates. At the Gandhi Primary School polling centre for Ward No. 15, a man was caught after voting in the name of Vaibhav Deshmukh from Kothali. Congress claimed people were brought from Kothali and Ibrahimpur in two vehicles to cast fraudulent votes and demanded police action.
In a separate incident in Buldhana, Congress accused Kunal Gaikwad, son of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, of helping a bogus voter escape.
Bogus voting was reported from other regions as well. In Barshi, MLA Dilip Sopal filed a formal complaint with the State Election Commission, stating a man from Jamgaon (A) used a fake Aadhaar card to vote and demanded a criminal case be filed. In Shirdi, a woman named Shobha Shinde discovered someone had already voted in her name, causing an argument at the booth, which was later questioned by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Bhausaheb Wakchoure.
MLA Booked, Senior Leaders in Confrontations
In a significant development, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar was booked by police in Hingoli for allegedly violating election rules. A viral video showed Bangar inside a polling booth in Kalamnuri guiding a woman voter as she pressed the EVM button. He was also seen raising slogans for Bal Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde and using his mobile phone—all actions prohibited within a voting booth. The district election officer confirmed the FIR. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticized Bangar's behaviour, stressing that elected representatives must show responsibility.
Senior leaders were also involved in tense moments. In Jalgaon's Muktainagar, Union Minister Rakhsha Khadse argued with police officers after a BJP candidate was barred from entering a booth. She insisted on uniform rules for all candidates, creating tension that led to a brief face-off between BJP and Shinde Sena workers. Around the same time, political rivals Eknath Khadse and Shiv Sena MLA Chandrakant Patil had a confrontation at a polling booth, exchanging accusations about threatening driving and road-blocking.
Other notable incidents included a protest by Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane in Malvan after police seized Rs 1.5 lakh from a car allegedly linked to a local BJP functionary. Rane accused the BJP of distributing money and police of inaction, sitting in protest at the police station and threatening legal action.
The first phase of these crucial local body elections has set a concerning precedent, with authorities now under pressure to investigate the numerous complaints and ensure smoother conduct in subsequent phases.
