Voting for municipal councils in Maharashtra faced unexpected delays on Saturday due to technical malfunctions in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at several polling centres in the Satara district. The issues, primarily in the Mahabaleshwar and Phaltan areas, led to extended voting hours and required the replacement of multiple machines.
Voters Stuck as EVM Keys Fail to Register
The core problem reported by voters and officials was that the keys on the EVMs failed to register votes even after being pressed. This malfunction caused significant delays, leaving citizens waiting in long queues. At Mahabaleshwar, the situation was particularly pronounced, where election officials had to replace a total of seven EVMs. As a result, voting continued until 6:30 pm, with over 200 voters still in line at closing time.
In Phaltan, two EVMs were replaced after the issue was formally raised. Samshersinh Naik-Nimbalkar, a mayoral candidate for the Phaltan municipal council, highlighted how the problem was identified. "The issue came to light after a few of my voters informed me that even after pressing the voting key, it was not getting pressed," Naik-Nimbalkar stated. The matter was then brought to the attention of the election returning officer, who ordered a replacement following an inspection.
Voter Turnout Across Key Districts
Saturday's polls covered 23 municipal councils across the state. Despite the technical hurdles, voter turnout data from various districts was recorded throughout the day. In the Kolhapur district, 1,853 voters cast their ballots at ward no. 3A for the Gandhinglaj municipal council between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm, achieving a 75.02% voter turnout.
Other notable turnout figures by late afternoon included:
- Sangli district: Ward no. 4 of Shirala municipal council saw an 86.36% turnout with 475 voters.
- Satara district: Phaltan witnessed a 52.02% turnout, while Mahabaleshwar recorded 47.40% by 3:30 pm.
- In Karad's Ward No. 15, turnout was 46.11%, and Malkapur's Ward No. 8A saw 43.99% by the same time.
In the Solapur district, the Mohol municipal council registered a 66.99% voter turnout by 5:30 pm, while Mangalwedha saw a higher 69.77%. The Maindargi municipal council reported a 72% turnout, and Pandharpur recorded 60.81%.
Counting Preparations Underway
With the voting phase now concluded, all attention shifts to the results. The counting of votes for all the municipal councils and nagar panchayats that went to the polls will be held on Sunday. District administrations across the state have confirmed that all necessary preparations for a smooth and transparent counting procedure have been completed.
While the EVM glitches posed a temporary challenge, the swift replacement of faulty machines by election officials ensured that the democratic process was not compromised, allowing every voter in line to exercise their franchise.
