Nashik Division Elections: A Day of Contrasts with Fake IDs and Political Clashes
Election day in the Nashik division unfolded with a mix of peace and minor disruptions across key constituencies. While the overall process remained largely calm, several incidents highlighted the underlying tensions in this politically charged region.
Voter Turnout Shows Regional Variations
Voting patterns varied significantly across the four constituencies of Ahilyanagar, Malegaon, Dhule, and Jalgaon. As the morning progressed, voter enthusiasm picked up notably in Ahilyanagar and Malegaon. However, Dhule and Jalgaon witnessed a more subdued response from voters throughout the day.
By 5:30 PM, election officers released tentative turnout figures that painted a clear picture of this disparity. Ahilyanagar led with a turnout of 64.35%, closely followed by Malegaon at 63.62%. Jalgaon recorded a moderate 53.59%, while Dhule trailed with just 52% of voters casting their ballots.
Fake Voter ID Cards Surface in Ahilyanagar
A significant development occurred in Ahilyanagar where police recovered forged Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) from two individuals. Authorities detained these persons from Ward 3 in the Savedi area of the city after receiving specific information about multiple people possessing such fake identification documents.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dileep Tiparse confirmed the operation, stating that police acted swiftly on citizen reports. "Some people informed police that there were several people in Ward 3 who had such ID cards with them," Tiparse explained. "Following this we rounded up two people recovering the cards."
Shiv Sena functionaries, led by candidate Chandrakant Shelke, immediately claimed that these fake cards contained details of actual city residents. Despite this incident, election returning officer Sudhir Patil maintained that the election proceeded peacefully overall, with no formal objections raised by any candidate.
Political Skirmishes and Premature Celebrations
In Ward 2, an interesting scene unfolded as candidates from the BJP and NCP began celebrating their anticipated victory even before vote counting. The actual counting process remains scheduled for Friday, making these celebrations notably premature.
Jalgaon witnessed several instances of political rivals and their supporters clashing verbally, with reports of slogan-shouting matches between opposing groups. These skirmishes added tension to what election officials described as a "cold start" to polling in the constituency.
Technical Glitch and Evening Rush
Dhule experienced one notable technical disruption when someone broke an EVM control unit in Ward 18. Despite this isolated incident, election authorities reported that the voting process otherwise proceeded smoothly throughout the constituency.
Malegaon saw a different pattern emerge as the day progressed. While polling remained peaceful, a large number of voters turned out in the evening hours, creating heavy rushes at polling stations. Election officer and Malegaon commissioner Ravindra Jadhav noted this late surge in voter activity, which contrasted with the slower pace observed during earlier hours.
The Nashik division elections thus presented a complex tapestry of democratic exercise—mostly peaceful yet punctuated by moments of controversy, technical issues, and political enthusiasm that varied dramatically across different regions.
