Pune, 15 January 2026: Voting in Pune municipal elections faced serious issues on polling day as Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) stopped working at multiple locations and voter verification systems were missing at some booths, leading to confusion and protests.
In Ward No. 26, voting was interrupted at six polling stations after EVMs shut down. After nearly an hour of efforts by officials, the machines were restarted, and in a few places they had to be replaced.
The affected centres included Swargate Police Lines, two booths at St. Hilda’s School, Savitribai Phule Memorial, Ghorpade Peth Garden at the Vasantdada Study Centre, and the Mahatma Gandhi Urdu School.
Problems were also reported in Susgaon area of Ward No. 9, where VVPAT machines, which allow voters to see a paper slip of their chosen candidate, were not kept with the EVMs. This meant voters could not confirm whether their vote was recorded correctly.
When voters questioned officials, they were told only that polling agents had checked the machines, without any clear explanation.
Opposition parties had earlier demanded that VVPAT machines be made available and had even approached the court, but the Election Commission rejected the request. As a result, voters were left without any way to verify their vote.
Other issues added to the confusion. Voters were asked to switch off their mobile phones, and long name lists, some with nearly 900 voters at a single booth, caused delays. Heavy police presence at polling centres also created a tense atmosphere.
NCP leader Rohit Pawar said these problems have raised serious doubts about the transparency of the voting process. He urged the Election Commission to immediately address the technical faults and restore voter confidence in the elections being held after a gap of nine years in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.