Technical Issues and Tensions Mark Early Voting in Maharashtra Civic Elections 2026

Polling for the 2026 municipal elections in Nashik and Navi Mumbai began on January 15, with voter turnout in Nashik reaching 26.52% by early afternoon. Several polling centers experienced technical issues with EVMs, including malfunctions causing delays and allegations of votes for NOTA being recorded for BJP in Navi Mumbai. In Nashik, tensions arose after an independent candidate accused BJP workers of cash-for-votes, leading to police intervention. In Panvel, clashes between BJP and MVA workers over alleged duplicate voting briefly disrupted polling. Authorities have taken measures to maintain order and ensure voting continues smoothly until 5:30 PM, with counting scheduled for January 16.