Pune: Shirur Constituency Faces Voting Machine Malfunctions on Election Day

Shirur, 13th May 2024: Voting commenced in Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency today at 7:30 AM. Ahead of the actual voting, 60 voting machines were replaced during the Mock Poll, including 24 Ballot Units, 10 Control Units, and 26 VVPATs. However, incidents of voting system shutdowns occurred during the actual voting at various polling stations.

Before the official voting kick-off, demonstrations of the voting machines were conducted at each polling station in the presence of candidates and their representatives. An observation revealed malfunctions in 24 ballot units (0.32%), 10 control units (0.40%), and 26 VVPATs (1.04%), prompting immediate replacement.

After polling began, disruptions were reported as 18 ballot units (0.24%), 6 control units (0.24%), and 18 VVPAT machines (0.72%) malfunctioned in various polling stations, including Kalbhor and Rajgurunagar in the Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency. This halted the voting process temporarily, causing delays of up to half an hour to an hour for voters.

The Election Returning Officer of Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency, Ajay More, confirmed that the faulty voting machines were swiftly replaced with new ones, restoring the voting process.

In a separate incident in Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency, Narayan Ankushe, a candidate of the Bharatiya Jawan Kisan Party in Pune’s Shirur Lok Sabha constituency, faced legal action for obstructing the voting process and violating the code of conduct. Ankushe and three others were caught filming within 100 meters of a polling station, breaching regulations. Election Returning Officer Ajay More ordered legal proceedings against them.

Furthermore, Mahavikas Aghadi candidate Dr Amol Kolhe posted a video depicting filming at a polling station in Hadapsar. Prompt action was taken by election authorities, registering a case against those involved for violating electoral rules.