Maharashtra Municipal Polls: Counting Day Sees Minor Clashes, Overall Peaceful
Police officials reported a largely smooth vote counting process across Maharashtra on Friday. The day unfolded with only a few minor incidents and clashes between party workers at some polling booths.
Senior IPS officers confirmed the overall peaceful nature of the counting. They noted minor incidents in several cities during the afternoon. These included Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Thane City, Kolhapur, and Amravati City.
Police handled all these situations with timely intervention. No major clashes occurred anywhere in the state, according to authorities.
Legal Action Taken in Specific Incidents
An official from the Director General's office stated that legal action is being taken by the police in some incidents. One such case involved a clash at the Matmojani centre.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi candidate Satish Gaikwad and his supporters objected after the ward number 24 winner was declared. Police used force to control the public in this instance.
The official added that legal proceedings are underway against the people involved in this clash.
Thane Witnesses Tense Confrontations
Thane City saw heightened tensions in ward number 3 of the Manpada area. A confrontation erupted between supporters of ex-mayor Meenakshi Shinde, an official Shiv Sena nominee, and independent candidate Bhushan Bhoir, a Shiv Sena rebel.
Shinde alleged that Bhoir tried to create problems. Bhoir's camp countered by claiming that Shinde's group threw chilli powder in their candidate's eyes, as per police reports.
Disputes also arose in Thane between two groups over buses allegedly carrying ballot boxes. The situation escalated but police managed it peacefully.
A senior police officer assured that the ballot boxes reached the strongroom safely. He urged people not to trust any rumours circulating about the process.
Police forces have been deployed in Thane, with special attention to the Manpada area, to maintain order.
Mumbai Remains Incident-Free
In contrast to other cities, Mumbai experienced a completely peaceful counting day. Senior IPS officers confirmed that no incidents occurred in the city.
The counting process at 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra concluded without major disruptions. Police presence and prompt action helped ensure overall calm during this critical democratic exercise.
