Fahad Ahmed, who was regularly in the lead until the 16th round of counting, found himself overtaken by Sana Malik, a candidate supported by the NCP led by Ajit Pawar and daughter of NCP leader Nawab Malik. As the countdown progressed, Ahmed’s lead diminished and Malik gained a lead in the following laps.

In a series of posts on X, Swara Bhasker expressed her dissatisfaction with the electoral process, tagged the Election Commission and called for clarification. She highlighted discrepancies in the vote counting process, particularly regarding the sudden increase in votes for Malik in the 17th, 18th and 19th rounds, which she said coincided with the activation of the EVM batteries “charged to 99%.” Bhaskar wondered how machines that had been in use throughout the day could suddenly show a full charge, while alleging that this had benefited BJP-backed NCP candidate Sana Malik.

She tweeted: “Leaded by FahadZirarAhmad of NCP-SP…rounds 17, 18 and 19 suddenly show EVMs loaded to 99% and BJP-backed NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes the lead. How can the machines that have been voted on take the lead? all day we have batteries charged to 99%? Why are all 99% charged batteries giving votes to the BJP and its allies? »

His accusations sparked new debates about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in the constituency. As counting continues, all eyes remain on the final results and the Electoral Commission’s response to the concerns raised.