Overview
- The State Election Commission allowed door-to-door visits into the usual silent period citing a 2012 order, a move the Opposition said enabled last-minute inducements.
- A backup device for EVMs called PADU was kept on standby with 140 units in Mumbai and BEL technicians present, drawing objections from MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) over transparency.
- Polling day saw scattered violence, EVM glitches, voter-roll errors, cash distribution allegations and claims that finger marks could be erased, with the SEC and police launching inquiries in several cases.
- The Bombay High Court rejected public-interest pleas seeking an immediate probe into alleged coercive mass withdrawals that led to unopposed wins, directing petitioners to pursue remedies after the polls.
- SEC data showed 41.13% turnout statewide by mid-afternoon, with later figures indicating about 53% in Mumbai, 54.50% in Pune and around 60% in Pimpri-Chinchwad, as counting and final results await.