In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Supriya Sule said voters had reported being given pens equipped with hidden cameras to attach to their pockets
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sule said voters had reported being given pens equipped with hidden cameras to attach to their pockets.
“The secrecy of voting and the freedom of voters are at stake,” Sule said, calling for strict action against those responsible. Reacting to the allegations in Nagpur, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was unaware of the device’s appearance or functioning. “If Supriya shares details of such a pen with me, I will myself try to understand what the pen is and the circumstances surrounding this,” he said.
She claimed that voters were instructed to record themselves voting for BJP candidates in order to receive promised cash payouts. These devices were allegedly used to record videos inside the voting booths as proof of their vote for BJP, which were later shown to coordinators to claim the money. Demanding an immediate and thorough investigation by Election Commission (EC) and state govt, Sule termed the allegations “serious and worrying. She added that such practices undermine democratic integrity and emphasised that elections must be conducted in a fair, fearless, and transparent atmosphere. In a separate post, the Lok Sabha MP also questioned how BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawde was permitted to enter a polling station while visibly wearing a party symbol around his neck. Sharing a video that purportedly showed Gawde casting his vote, Sule argued that candidates are legally required to enter polling stations as ordinary citizens, leaving their political identities outside. “How was the candidate allowed to enter the polling station wearing the party symbol? Why is this concession being given only to a ruling-party candidate? Does this not amount to a violation of model code of conduct? Sule asked, demanding an explanation from EC regarding the action it proposes to take against the candidate.
Pune : NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Friday alleged that complaints had emerged of spy pens being distributed to voters during the Pune teachers’ and graduates’ constituency elections to facilitate vote buying.