Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Altercation between rival candidates in Nashik; officials say voting unaffected

Nashik: A heated argument took place on Wednesday between Shiv Sena candidate Suhas Kande and independent nominee Sameer Bhujbal over the identity of some voters at a polling centre in Maharashtra's Nashik district, officials said.

Police and poll authorities later reached the spot, they said, adding the situation was in control and polling was not affected due to the incident.

Kande and Bhujbal as well as their supporters had a heated exchange of words at a polling centre in Nandgaon assembly constituency after the independent candidate raised objection over the authenticity of some voters in the segment.

"Verbal clashes erupted between the two candidates in Nandgaon assembly constituency over the identity of voters," Nashik Collector Jalaj Sharma said.

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"The police and election observers reached the spot immediately and action has been initiated as per the Representation of the People Act," he said.

After the police's intervention, one of the candidates left the place, he said.

"It is clear that polling officers check the identity of voters and then only allow them to vote," the collector said.

"The incident has not affected the voting in any manner. The voting process is smooth at the polling centre. People should not believe in any rumours and exercise their franchise," Sharma added.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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