ZP polls: Three polling officials suspended after Sena MLA takes minor son inside booth

Three polling officials were suspended on Sunday after Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Bhumre allegedly violated election norms by bringing his minor son into an EVM booth during the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls in Paithan taluka.

The incident occurred on Saturday at the Pachod booth, where a video circulated on social media showed both Bhumre and his son’s fingers being marked with ink. In response, District Collector Dilip Swami , also serving as the returning officer, ordered a probe into the matter.

A release from the district administration confirmed that head of polling booth 58/7 Dilipa Narwade, booth officer Sangita Kedar, and homeguard Renuka Bomble have been suspended pending the inquiry report. Narwade and Kedar, both school teachers, were drafted for poll duty.

When questioned by reporters, Bhumre downplayed the incident, saying, “When my finger was being inked after voting, my son also wanted ink on his finger. He is small. How will he understand anything about EVMs and its buttons? He just came with me.”

Collector Swami had earlier stated that a detailed explanation was sought from the concerned officer in Paithan taluka and promised strict action against those responsible for the violation.

Bhumre (40) is the son of senior Shiv Sena leader Sandipanrao Bhumre , a five-time Paithan MLA and current Lok Sabha MP from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

A similar violation was reported on the same day in Solapur, where candidate Arjun Sinh Mohite Patil’s son was seen inside a polling booth at Yashwant Nagar, Akluj, pressing the EVM button. Patil later stated that the boy only wanted to see how a vote is cast.