Counting begins in Pune for MLC graduates, teachers seats; agents upset over pen, watch, key ban

Votes for the Legislative Council graduates' and teachers' constituencies were cast on Friday. Counting is under way today and began at 8 am. The fate of 182 candidates, contesting three graduates' and two teachers' constituencies, was sealed in the ballot boxes.

The prestige of the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi is at stake in the Nagpur, Amravati, Pune and Aurangabad constituencies. In several places, allied parties are facing each other in friendly contests. Rebellion and the challenge from independents have also complicated the equations a great deal. As a result, suspense over the results has reached a peak. The results will show whose organisational strength is greater in the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and who will have to introspect.

In Pune, the police and the administration have made extensive preparations for the counting, which is being held at the Balewadi stadium. The Pune teachers' constituency has a multi-cornered contest, while in the graduates' constituency the fight is directly between the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Mahayuti. Five districts of western Maharashtra were part of the election: Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur and Pune. All parties and leaders had put in their full strength here, so both the teachers' and graduates' seats are closely contested and all eyes are on the results.

Strict arrangements have been put in place at the stadium's main gate, and police are deployed across the premises. Candidates' representatives going in are being checked. Even those who have been issued ID cards are being made to leave their pens and diaries outside. Some who carried diaries and papers had them kept outside too. Candidates' representatives are not allowed to carry pens, diaries and watches. Some time ago, there was an argument between some representatives and the police over entering with a watch.

The representatives who argued with the police said their quarrel was not with the police administration but with its poor arrangements. According to them, the entire planning is non-existent. They said they did not know what guidelines the Election Commission had given the police. The police have clearly said digital watches are not allowed inside, nor are mobile phones. According to the representative, they had not brought these items. But they had an analogue watch, an ordinary watch, and even that was not being allowed in, which forced them to argue.

The police then began saying that car keys could not be taken inside either. A candidate's representative asked where he should keep the key when he had parked the car 3 km away and walked to the venue.