Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Vilas Potnis and a police officer assigned to guard him have been booked for entering a counting center in Goregaon, Mumbai, on June 4 during the announcement of Lok Sabha results amidst the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena insisting that Ravindra Waikar should not be sworn in as a Lok Sabha member until the matter is resolved.
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The incident occurred at the NESCO center during the counting of votes for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat.
A case was filed against MLC Vilas Potnis and his police security guard under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Representation of the People Act. They were accused of entering the counting center with Shiv Sena candidate Amol Kirtikar.
Prajakta Mahale, the polling representative of the winning Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar, objected to Potnis and his security personnel.
Election officials instructed Potnis and his guard to leave immediately. Mahale also lodged a complaint with the returning officer of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat.
The police registered the case on Sunday based on a complaint by Nandkumar Deshmukh.
Potnis defended himself, stating he entered the counting center unknowingly. He claimed there was strict security, but no one prevented his entry. He promptly left when his presence was noticed during the announcement of results.
The counting process for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, won by Ravindra Waikar with a margin of just 48 votes, has sparked a controversy.
As per reports, Waikar's relatives used a mobile phone to allegedly manipulate an EVM, a claim denied by election and police authorities.
However, Waikar's relatives were booked for allegedly possessing a mobile phone inside the counting center.
