Sillod, Maharashtra (November 23, 2024): A crowd outside the counting centre in Sillod turned uncontrollable following rumours about the assembly constituency results. The situation escalated when the counting of votes was temporarily halted, prompting police to use a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Tensions mounted as there was no information on the winner between Abdul Sattar, a state minister and candidate from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Suresh Bankar of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT).
Section 144 has been imposed in the constituency, and District Collector Dilip Swami has left for Sillod to manage the situation. The unrest began when social media rumours claimed a candidate had won, prompting the crowd to celebrate. However, the celebration turned to chaos when others claimed the counting was still ongoing, leading to confusion.
The crowd get aggressive and pelted stones at the police. Police intervened, using force to regain control. Former Deputy Mayor Abdul Samir intervened to calm the situation. To prevent further escalation, the election department paused the counting process for a brief period.
A large contingent of police has been deployed in Sillod to ensure peace as the counting resumes.