Mumbai: Actress Swara Bhasker has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the ongoing election counting for the Anushakti Nagar constituency in Mumbai South-Central. Bhaskar's husband, Fahad Ahmed, who is contesting the seat as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, is trailing by more than 3,000 votes, according to the latest trends from the Election Commission.

Fahad Ahmed, who had been leading steadily until the 16th round of counting, found himself overtaken by Sana Malik, a candidate backed by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the daughter of NCP leader Nawab Malik. As the counting progressed, Ahmed’s earlier lead diminished, and Malik surged ahead in the later rounds. 

In a series of posts on X, Swara Bhasker expressed her dissatisfaction with the electoral process, tagging the Election Commission and calling for clarification. She pointed out the discrepancies in the vote-counting process, specifically regarding the sudden surge in votes for Malik in the 17th, 18th, and 19th rounds, which she claimed coincided with the activation of "99% charged" EVM batteries. Bhaskar questioned how machines that had been used throughout the day could suddenly show full charge, while also alleging that this benefited BJP-supported NCP candidate Sana Malik.

She tweeted, "Lead by FahadZirarAhmad of NCP-SP...rounds 17, 18, 19 suddenly show 99% battery-charged EVMs, and BJP-supported NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes the lead. How can machines that have been voted on all day long have 99% charged batteries? Why do all 99%-charged batteries give votes to BJP and its allies?"

Her accusations have sparked further debate about the transparency and fairness of the election process in the constituency. As the counting continues, all eyes remain on the final results and the Election Commission’s response to the concerns raised.