Pune Civic Polls Hit by Voting Irregularity as Woman Finds Ballot Marked Before Arrival

Pune, 15th January 2026: An alleged voting irregularity has come to light during the ongoing Pune Municipal Corporation elections after a woman voter reported that her vote had already been recorded even before she reached the polling station, triggering concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.

The incident was reported from Ward No. 21 at Kataria High School, a designated polling centre in the city. According to the voter, she was taken aback when polling officials informed her that a signature was already present against her name on the electoral roll, indicating that her vote had supposedly been cast earlier.

Upon noticing the discrepancy, the voter immediately raised objections with the polling staff, insisting that she had not voted. The issue was subsequently flagged by Youth Congress leader Akshay Jain, who questioned officials at the booth and described the incident as a serious breach of election procedures.

“This is a grave lapse. The woman was shocked to learn that records showed she had already voted even though she had just arrived at the booth,” Jain said, demanding accountability for the apparent error.

After repeated objections and explanations, the voter was eventually permitted to cast her vote through a postal ballot, she later stated, adding that her initial attendance had been wrongly marked.

Jain further alleged that the incident may not be isolated, claiming that there could be similar discrepancies in the voters’ list. He also raised concerns that the names of deceased individuals may have been shown as having voted, calling into question the transparency of the electoral mechanism.