Mumbai, Dec 3 (NationPress) The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) declared on Wednesday that the initial phase of the nagar parishads and nagar panchayat elections, conducted on Tuesday, witnessed a voter turnout of 67.63%.

However, the polling was affected by several incidents of clashes, notably between the Mahayuti partners and allegations of bogus voting.

Although the SEC had initially scheduled elections for 246 nagar parishads and 42 municipal panchayats, voting was postponed in some locations, with elections taking place only in 222 nagar parishads and 42 nagar panchayats.

Additionally, elections in 154 wards across another 76 nagar parishads and nagar panchayats were also delayed. Voting in these areas is now set for December 20, with counting on December 21.

An official from the SEC explained, 'The compilation of voting data from numerous local bodies at the district collector level contributed to the delayed announcement of the official percentage.'

The Murgud Nagar Parishad in Kolhapur district reported the highest voter turnout at 88.43%, while Besa Pipla in Nagpur district recorded the lowest at 51.33%.

The elections were already under scrutiny due to leader poaching controversies, and the initial phase was further disrupted by incidents of violence tied to bogus voter claims as political parties blamed each other across various constituencies.

In Hingoli, Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar found himself at the center of controversy after footage surfaced showing him in a polling booth in Kalamnuri’s bazaar area.

The video allegedly depicts Bangar assisting a woman voter in operating the EVM while chanting slogans for late Bal Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, actions prohibited by election laws, according to an official.

The District Election Officer confirmed that an FIR was filed against Bangar.

This incident drew sharp rebuke from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who emphasized that elected officials should exemplify adherence to the law. Notably, a family member of Bangar is contesting in the Hingoli polls.

Tensions erupted in Mahad from Raigad district, where supporters of ruling NCP leader Sushant Jabre and Shiv Sena Minister Bharat Gogawale’s son, Vikas Gogawale, clashed outside a polling station, each side accusing the other of instigating violence, including allegations of a revolver being brandished by Vikas.

In Jalgaon’s Muktainagar, Union Minister Raksha Khadse confronted polling officials after a BJP candidate was barred from approaching a booth, demanding equitable enforcement of rules for all candidates and suggesting that officials unable to handle the situation should step aside.

Moreover, political adversaries Eknath Khadse and Shiv Sena MLA Chandrakant Patil had a direct confrontation at another booth, with accusations flying about voter obstruction and intimidation.

The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) claimed on Wednesday that the nagar parishad and nagar panchayat elections are marred by controversy and administrative chaos, following a ruling from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court that delayed all vote counting until December 21. The court order requires that the results from December 2 be withheld for 19 days and announced with the polls rescheduled for December 20.

The Thackeray camp described the election process as a 'complete farce' (khelkhondoba) and a representation of 'slack governance and anarchy,' accusing both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the SEC of corruption and procedural irregularities.

In a stern editorial in their party publication Saamana, the Thackeray camp alleged that the entire process is marked by 'chaos, confusion, and suspicion,' with irregularities reported from voter lists to the actual voting process.