Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, February 8 An investigation was ordered after Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Bhumre took his minor son into the EVM booth during the Zilla Parishad elections in the Paithan taluka of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, violating the secrecy and other norms associated with the process, officials said here on Sunday. The incident, in which the fingers of both Bhumre and his son were marked with ink, took place on Saturday at the Pachod booth. A video of it went viral on social media, leading to district collector Dilip Swami ordering an investigation. Bhumre, the MLA from Paithan, downplayed the incident when questioned by reporters. "When my finger was being marked with ink after voting, my son also wanted ink on his finger. He is young. How would he understand anything about EVMs and their buttons? He is young and just came with me," Bhumre claimed. Collector Swami said an investigation was ordered after he came to know about the incident from the viral video and through the media. "I have called the concerned officer in the Paithan taluka and have asked him to send a detailed report. I have also asked for an explanation on who gave permission (to take the child to the EVM booth and put ink on his finger) in this case. We will take action against the officials who are responsible for this," Swami said. Bhumre (40) is the son of senior Shiv Sena leader Sandipanrao Bhumre, who was a five-time MLA from Paithan, and is currently a Member of Parliament from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad). A similar incident also took place on the same day in Solapur. In a viral video, the son of candidate Arjun Sinh Mohite Patil was seen standing next to him inside a polling booth at Yashwant Nagar in Akluj, and pressing the EVM button. Patil later claimed that the boy only wanted to see how a vote is cast.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, February 8 An investigation was ordered after Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Bhumre took his minor son into the EVM booth during the Zilla Parishad elections in the Paithan taluka of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, violating the secrecy and other norms associated with the process, officials said here on Sunday. The incident, in which the fingers of both Bhumre and his son were marked with ink, took place on Saturday at the Pachod booth. A video of it went viral on social media, leading to district collector Dilip Swami ordering an investigation. Bhumre, the MLA from Paithan, downplayed the incident when questioned by reporters. "When my finger was being marked with ink after voting, my son also wanted ink on his finger. He is young. How would he understand anything about EVMs and their buttons? He is young and just came with me," Bhumre claimed. Collector Swami said an investigation was ordered after he came to know about the incident from the viral video and through the media. "I have called the concerned officer in the Paithan taluka and have asked him to send a detailed report. I have also asked for an explanation on who gave permission (to take the child to the EVM booth and put ink on his finger) in this case. We will take action against the officials who are responsible for this," Swami said. Bhumre (40) is the son of senior Shiv Sena leader Sandipanrao Bhumre, who was a five-time MLA from Paithan, and is currently a Member of Parliament from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad). A similar incident also took place on the same day in Solapur. In a viral video, the son of candidate Arjun Sinh Mohite Patil was seen standing next to him inside a polling booth at Yashwant Nagar in Akluj, and pressing the EVM button. Patil later claimed that the boy only wanted to see how a vote is cast.