Slip demanding old pension scheme found in ballot box during Pune teachers' constituency count

Counting for the Legislative Council graduates' and teachers' constituency elections began at 8 am today. Voting was held on Friday. During the count for the Pune teachers' constituency, a slip that emerged from a ballot box drew the attention of everyone present. It had been dropped in by a teacher voter and read: "No one can buy us. Implement the old pension scheme, or else see what happens."

The slip was cast at the Rajewadi polling station in Purandar taluka. Counting for the teachers' seat was under way at table number two. In the second round, when the box from the Rajewadi booth in Pune district was emptied, the paper slip was found inside. Representatives of candidates present said they asked officials to first arrange the bundle and then read the slip out to them. The slip said teachers could not be bought and demanded the old pension scheme that existed before 2004, or else. The representatives said they also asked the election officials to hand the slip to their returning officer.

Counting is still on. Representatives say voters' anger is visible and that the slip sends a strong message that teachers cannot be bought. It is being said that candidates of some powerful parties had tried to buy them, but teachers raised their voice against it. Some representatives also said that only candidates who understand teachers' concerns will be elected.

In this election, the fortunes of 182 candidates were at stake across three graduates' and two teachers' seats. The prestige of the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi is at stake on the seats of Nagpur, Amravati, Pune and Aurangabad.

In Pune, counting is being held at the Balewadi stadium. Police barred pens and paper from the counting area. There were also arguments between some candidates' representatives and police over carrying wristwatches and car keys. Many people expressed displeasure over the police policy.

The ballot boxes also led to a dispute. Some representatives of Harshada Deshmukh Jadhav, the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate for the Pune graduates' seat, raised objections at the counting centre. They said the wire seals on some ballot boxes were broken and the boxes had no lac seal. The Election Commission said a video of this would be shown. On Deshmukh's behalf, it was demanded that the boxes with broken seals be set aside and the remaining boxes counted. It was alleged that many boxes were unsealed. Tension prevailed at the counting centre for some time. There was also a demand that the sealed boxes be counted first.

Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar, the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate for the Pune teachers' seat, also raised several allegations and objected to the counting process. Representatives of other candidates have also expressed displeasure over the process. All eyes are now on what is happening at the counting centre and what becomes of the candidates' objections.