Pune, Maharashtra (December 2, 2025): Police have booked an NCP candidate in Pune district after he allegedly performed a puja of an Electronic Voting Machine inside a polling booth during local body elections on Tuesday. The incident took place after the mock poll. Elections to 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats were held across Maharashtra the same day.
According to PTI reports, the booth in-charge warned the candidate and his wife that the act violated the model code of conduct. The couple went ahead with the ritual despite the warning. The booth in-charge later approached Bhor police and lodged a complaint.
A video showing candidate Kedar Deshpande, who contested for a councillor’s post in the Bhor municipal council, and his wife performing the ritual on the EVM spread widely on social media.
Senior inspector Appasaheb Pawar said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said further investigation is underway.
(With inputs from PTI)