Uproar at Pune graduates' constituency counting centre over seals on ballot boxes; Sapkal slams poll officials

There was considerable uproar at the counting centre for the Pune graduates' constituency on Tuesday over the seals on ballot boxes. It was claimed that the seals on some ballot boxes were broken. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal took a hard line and levelled serious allegations against the election administration.

Elections to the graduates' and teachers' constituencies of the Legislative Council are under way across the state. Counting began at 8 am on Tuesday, October 27. Before the count at the Pune graduates' constituency centre could start, the issue of the seals on some ballot boxes was raised.

According to the information available, Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate Harshada Deshmukh objected, claiming that eight ballot boxes had no seals. An argument followed between election officials and the candidates' representatives. It is being said that the counting process had to be halted for a while because of the commotion.

Sapkal expressed his anger in a post on his official account on X. Claiming that the seals on seven to eight ballot boxes were found broken, he sharply criticised the Election Commission.

Sapkal said: "Finding the seals broken on 7 to 8 ballot boxes at the Pune graduates' constituency counting centre is a direct murder of democracy. Instead of setting aside the suspicious unsealed boxes and holding a fair inquiry, election officials are pushing the count ahead through coercion and bullying. Not even allowing representatives to make a written complaint is an extremely irresponsible and arbitrary attitude on the part of the administration."

He added: "The Maha Vikas Aghadi will in no way tolerate this blatant irregularity. Sharp anger has flared up against the dictatorial and suspicious role of the Election Commission. If the boxes whose seals are broken are not immediately examined separately and action taken, the Election Commission will have to face the wrath of a democracy-loving public and massive public outrage."

The election administration has yet to respond to the allegations.