Cellphone Ban Within 100m of Polling Stations Enforced by Pune District Collector

District Collector Suhas Diwase has implemented a ban on carrying cellphones within 100 meters of polling stations across Pune, Shirur, and Maval constituencies. The strict measure aims to uphold voting secrecy and security during the elections. Following recent incidents, including complaints of EVM puja inside polling booths during the Baramati polls on May 7, action will be taken against violators.

Polling staff are instructed to enforce the ban rigorously, with penalties under the Representation of the People Act 1951 for violations. These penalties include disorderly conduct near polling stations (Section 131) and misconduct within polling stations (Section 132). The ban aims to prevent any attempts to compromise voting secrecy or disrupt security arrangements.

In Maval constituency, voters are required to carry alternate ID proof along with their voter card, especially if bank passbooks appear doubtful. Staff will scrutinize ID proofs closely after instances of discrepancies were reported during the Baramati elections.

Diwase emphasized the importance of carrying the voter card to the booth, along with any one of the 12 other identity cards permitted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for voting. With polling stations and arrangements set up, approximately 35,000 staff have been dispatched, ensuring readiness for voting day.

Voters in Pune, Shirur, and Maval constituencies will have a holiday on Monday to exercise their franchise. Voter slip distribution continued on Sunday to minimize confusion and ensure a smooth voting process. Booth level officials will distribute remaining slips outside polling stations to facilitate voter guidance.