The Maharashtra local body polls held on Saturday (December 20, 2025) were marred by allegations of bogus voting, voter list irregularities, impersonation, and cash distribution, prompting police action and special investigations in multiple districts.
In Ambernath, police detained 208 women allegedly brought from Bhiwandi to cast fake votes. A senior official from the Ambernath municipal election office told The Hindu, “Last night around 12, we learnt about an allegation that in Krishna Marriage Hall in Ambernath, 208 women were brought from Bhiwandi for the purpose of bogus voting. Police reached the spot and since it was midnight, and as per rule, women can’t be questioned or taken into custody at that time, the questioning began from Saturday (December 20, 2025) morning and it is still ongoing. A special investigation team (SIT) is formed to probe the matter. The report will come out tomorrow.”
Police confirmed identity checks are under way and that the election department is assisting in the probe. The incident triggered tension during polling, with rival groups clashing over EVM tampering allegations and cash-for-votes claims, forcing police to resort to mild lathi-charge at one centre.
