The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered the suspension of a polling officer and a police constable in Solapur for allowing a minor boy to enter a polling booth with his father, a candidate in the Zilla Parishad election.
A video went viral on social media last week, which showed a 14-year-old boy, accompanied by his father, allegedly casting a vote at the Yashwant Nagar polling station in Akluj during the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections on February 7, 2026.
Maharashtra local body polls see approximately 67% voter turnout
In the video, NCP (SP) candidate Arjun Sinh Mohite Patil's son is seen standing next to him inside a polling booth, pressing the EVM button.
The SEC, in a letter to the Solapur collector on February 10, stated that permitting a child inside the polling compartment was a violation of election rules.
