Mumbai: Actress Swara Bhaskar has raised allegations of foul play following the defeat of her husband, Fahad Ahmad, in the Anushakti Nagar assembly constituency of Maharashtra.
Ahmad, a candidate from the NCP (SP) lost his debut assembly election to Sana Malik, daughter of veteran NCP leader Nawab Malik. Sana Malik, who was contesting from Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, defected Ahymad by a margin of 3,378 votes.
Swara took to social media, accusing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) of malfunctioning during the vote-counting process. She claimed that Fahad, who had been leading the race, saw a sudden shift in the results as EVMs with '99 per cent battery' were opened in the 17th, 18th, and 19th rounds of counting.
"How can machines that have been voted on all day long have 99% charged batteries?" Swara questioned on X. She also expressed concerns about how the "99% charges batteries" seemingly favoured BJP-supported candidates.
Fahad Ahmad also voiced his suspicions, addressing the Election Commission, calling out the result "rank manipulation" and demanding a recount of the contested rounds. He stated, "I was leading till the 17th round. The dilemma of 99% battery of CU (Control Unit) needs to be resolved."
Fahad, a former member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), had joined the NCP (SP) in October. He is known for his active participation in student politics and his involvement in the anti-CAA protests.
Sana Malik's victory marks her debut in state politics, with her father Nawab Malik having held the Anushakti Nagar seat in past elections.
Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at over 66 per cent, surpassing the 61 per cent recorded in the 2019 elections. The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP has surged ahead of the MVA alliance comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP).
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