Reserved Electronic Voting Machines Discovered in Private Vehicle After Solapur Elections
In a concerning incident following local body elections, two complete sets of electronic voting machines were found inside a private SUV parked near a roadside eatery in Solapur's Mohol town. The discovery occurred approximately five hours after polling for the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections concluded at 5:30 PM on Saturday.
Election Authorities Confirm Machines Were Reserve Stock
Election officials have clarified that the electronic voting machines in question were from the reserved stock and were not those utilized during the actual voting process. According to the official statement, these EVMs were designated for emergency use only in case of malfunction with the primary voting machines.
The situation unfolded when Nationalist Congress Party's Solapur district president Umesh Patil arrived at the scene after being alerted about the EVMs. Patil immediately contacted election officers, prompting a response team led by Seema Holkar, the election returning officer for Mohol, who subsequently took custody of the voting machines.
Chain of Events Leading to the Discovery
Election authorities provided a detailed explanation of how the reserve EVMs ended up in the private vehicle. "After polling concluded, we requested the submission of all reserve electronic voting machines," explained an election official. "The zonal officer responsible for these particular EVMs realized he had left them in a vehicle that was hired specifically for election duty."
The official continued: "When we contacted the driver, he informed us that he had returned the SUV to the vehicle's owner. The owner, who operates a paan shop near the dhaba where the vehicle was parked, told zonal officers to retrieve the EVMs themselves as he was occupied with his business. During this interim period, local residents discovered the voting machines inside the unattended vehicle."
Authorities emphasized that all EVMs used in the actual polling had been properly secured and transported to the designated strong room immediately after voting ended.
Political Reaction and Demands for Fresh Polling
NCP leader Umesh Patil has raised serious concerns about the incident and demanded fresh polling for the specific booth to which the discovered EVMs were assigned. Addressing media representatives at Mohol on Sunday, Patil expressed skepticism about the election process.
"We have legitimate suspicions regarding the conduct of this election," stated Patil. "There exists a significant possibility that these so-called reserve EVMs were actually the ones used during voting, while the machines delivered to the counting center might contain pre-filled data. To eliminate any doubts from voters' minds and ensure electoral integrity, we insist on conducting fresh polling for the affected booth."
Election Commission Response and Investigation
The State Election Commission has issued an official statement acknowledging the incident and promising strict action against those responsible. According to the SEC, the electronic voting machines discovered were reserve units designated for the Kurul division of Solapur Zilla Parishad.
The commission stated unequivocally that zonal officers and other personnel accountable for failing to submit the EVMs within the prescribed timeframe will face disciplinary measures. This incident has highlighted procedural lapses in the handling of election materials despite authorities maintaining that the integrity of the voting process remains uncompromised.
Election officials reiterated that reserve EVMs serve only as backup equipment and contain no voter data from the concluded election. The machines are programmed specifically for emergency replacement purposes and cannot be interchanged with those used during actual polling without proper authorization and reset procedures.
