Pune, 15 January 2025: Voting in parts of Pune was thrown into chaos on election day after Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) failed at multiple polling centres, delaying the polling process and triggering protests by voters and political candidates.
In Ward No. 26 at Guruwar Peth, polling had still not begun even one hour after the official voting time. EVMs at the centre remained shut since morning, forcing hundreds of voters to stand in long queues without being able to cast their votes. As frustration grew, arguments broke out between candidates and police officials at the site.
A similar situation was reported from Ward No. 24, where EVMs also stopped working, leading to angry reactions from waiting voters. At Polling Booth No. 3, a technical failure shut down the voting room completely, making it impossible for polling to continue.
Congress candidate Rahul Sharma said the delay was unfair to voters who had arrived on time and were now being forced to wait without any clarity. He demanded that once the machines are fixed, voting hours should be extended so that no voter is deprived of their right to vote.
After a delay of half an hour, the EVM machine that had stopped working in Ward No. 24 has been restarted, and voting has now begun.