Supriya Sule Raises Alarm Over Alleged Spy Cameras in Maharashtra MLC Elections
NCP leader Supriya Sule claims that spy cameras were used during voting in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, urging action from authorities.
Supriya Sule alleges the use of spy cameras and bribery in MLC elections.
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Office has not received formal complaints.
Polling for five constituencies took place on October 16, 2026.
On October 23, 2026, Supriya Sule, a prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), made serious allegations regarding the use of spy cameras during the voting process for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections in the Pune Teachers and Graduates constituency. Sule claimed that voters reported instances of ruling BJP members distributing pens equipped with spy cameras, which were allegedly used to record voters casting their ballots. According to her, this practice involved voters being shown the recorded footage to receive promised monetary compensation after voting for the BJP candidate.
Sule described these allegations as "extremely serious and concerning," emphasizing the threat they pose to the secrecy of the voting process and the independence of voters. She called upon the Election Commission and the Maharashtra government to address these claims, stating that such actions undermine the fundamental principles of democracy. In her social media post, she tagged the Election Commission, the Maharashtra State Election Commission, and the Chief Minister’s Office, urging for a fair and transparent electoral environment.
In response to the allegations, sources from the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Office indicated that no formal complaints had been lodged regarding the use of spy cameras or bribery. They stated that if such allegations arise, they would instruct booth-level staff to prohibit pens from being brought into polling centers, as they are unnecessary for the voting process. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his unfamiliarity with the concept of a spy pen, inviting Sule to provide more details for investigation.
The elections have also been shadowed by accusations of financial inducements to voters. OBC leader Lakshman Hake alleged that the ruling coalition, Mahayuti, distributed ₹15,000 to each graduate and teacher voter. In a similar vein, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut claimed that ₹10,000 was being handed out to each voter, contrasting this with the ₹5,000 aid provided to drought-affected farmers.
Polling for five constituencies in the Maharashtra Legislative Council took place on October 16, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vote counting scheduled for October 27. The constituencies included Pune Division Graduates, Nagpur Division Graduates, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates, Pune Division Teachers, and Amravati Division Teachers. A total of 1,068,072 voters were registered across 2,419 polling stations for these elections, with early voting figures indicating varying turnout rates across the constituencies.
