Polling officials brace for back-to-back duty, with no gap between voting and counting | Pune News

Pune: A gruelling 72-hour work marathon is unfolding quietly behind the scenes of the municipal corporation elections. With polling and counting scheduled on consecutive days, returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers across the state are bracing for an unusually demanding, back-to-back duty schedule, leaving many officials away from home for several days at a…

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Group writes to CM over poor infra in consumer commissions | Pune News

Pune: The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging that Maharashtra’s consumer protection system had weakened, limiting citizens’ access to justice. The group flagged poor infrastructure, acute staff shortage and multiple consumer commissions functioning from the same premises.The consumer rights group said in its letter that all three consumer commissions…

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Confusion over casting four votes, mismatched wards frustrate seniors | Pune News

Pune: The city’s elderly population has always demonstrated high electoral enthusiasm, but many of them were left frustrated on Thursday. A combination of “confusing” four-ward panel system, poorly allocated polling booths, and strict identity card requirements forced several senior citizens to return home without casting their ballots.The primary grievance among seniors was the haphazard allocation…

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Maharashtra election results: Sharad Pawar–Ajit Pawar family reunion falters in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad; BJP sweeps multiple wards | Pune News

PUNE: The highly anticipated Sharad Pawar–Ajit Pawar family reunion for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections — their traditional strongholds — appears to have largely faltered, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking a commanding lead in both cities.Counting of votes indicate that the BJP has surged ahead of the NCP–NCP (SP) alliance, led by…

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Discounts fall flat on voting day as outlets witness a usual Thursday | Pune News

Pune: Despite a flurry of discounts announced ahead of the Pune municipal elections to promote voting, most cafés, restaurants and malls across the city described the day’s footfall as largely similar to any regular Thursday.In an effort to nudge the city’s persistently low voter turnout, several establishments announced discounts, freebies or complimentary add-ons for customers…

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Housing societies encourage members to step out & elect representative in PMC, PCMC polls | Pune News

Pune: Many housing societies across the city on Thursday went hands on to encourage their members to vote to counter apathy and helped provide clarity on the updated voting format using WhatsApp groups, internal polls and door-to-door visits.Chaitanya Sharma, member of the Keshavnagar Welfare Association, said confusion over the voting process had deterred many residents…

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