Mumbai, Dec 2 (NationPress) The first phase of polling for 264 nagar parishads and nagar panchayats throughout Maharashtra on Tuesday was overshadowed by a series of incidents, including reports of bogus voting and violent clashes between opposing factions such as Shiv Sena and BJP, as well as Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

An FIR was lodged against a current MLA from Shiv Sena in Hingoli for breaching polling regulations, while another incident in Raigad involved the son of a Shiv Sena minister displaying a weapon.

In Hingoli, Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar found himself at the center of controversy after a video surfaced showing him inside a polling booth in Kalamnuri's marketplace.

The footage reportedly depicts Bangar assisting a female voter as she engaged with the EVM, chanting slogans in honor of the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while also using his mobile device.

All of these actions are prohibited within polling booths under election law, according to officials.

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

This incident drew strong criticism from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who stated that elected officials must exemplify adherence to the rules.

A relative of Bangar is running for election in Hingoli.

Tensions escalated in Mahad, 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. Both sides accused one another of starting the altercation, with claims that Vikas brandished a revolver.

In Jalgaon's Muktainagar, Union Minister Raksha Khadse confronted polling officials after a BJP candidate was barred from approaching a booth. She insisted that regulations should be uniformly applied to all candidates and suggested that officials unable to manage the situation should step back.

Political adversaries Eknath Khadse and Shiv Sena MLA Chandrakant Patil had a direct confrontation at another booth, each accusing the other of hindering voters and intimidating the public. Political figures quickly responded to the events of Tuesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar remarked on X, "Reports of violence have emerged from various regions of Maharashtra, and I want to clearly state: violence has no role in our democracy. Elections are a sacred procedure, and every citizen must be able to vote free from fear or coercion. Let the populace choose their representatives. Alliance commitments must be honored by all partners, but beyond that, any attempts to disrupt peace or influence voters through intimidation are against the Constitution and Maharashtra's values. Such conduct will not be tolerated."

Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar condemned both the Maharashtra government and the Election Commission (EC), asserting that such occurrences undermine the electoral process and render it susceptible to manipulation.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar accused the EC of being influenced by the ruling BJP, while Chief Minister Fadnavis, although expressing disappointment over the incidents, urged all parties to respect judicial rulings.

State NCP Chief Sunil Tatkare, who has been targeted by Shiv Sena regarding clashes between NCP and Shiv Sena workers, refuted the allegations.

He stated, "It is the responsibility of all political parties to ensure peaceful elections. The Nationalist Congress Party has always emphasized democratic and constitutional principles in its political and social journey. In a democracy, there is no room for violence, and the Election Commission and administration should take appropriate notice of those violating the country's democratic values and enforce strict measures against them."

Moreover, several regions reported instances of alleged bogus voting, with Congress claiming that voters were transported from Kothali and Ibrahimpur to cast fraudulent ballots.

In Ward 15, a man was apprehended voting under the name of Vaibhav Deshmukh, and Kunal Gaikwad, son of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, was accused of assisting a fraudulent voter in escaping.

The party also alleged that two vehicles filled with voters were brought in to sway the election results.

Buldhana is the home district of Maharashtra Congress Chief Harshavardhan Sapkal, who demanded police intervention.

In Barshi, MLA Dilip Sopal lodged a complaint stating that a man utilized a fake Aadhaar card to vote, requesting that a criminal case be filed.

In Shirdi, a woman claimed that someone had already voted in her name, leading to a heated dispute at the polling booth.

Shiv Sena-UBT MP Bhausaheb Wakchoure subsequently questioned officials regarding the incident.