Why Markadwadi villagers were barred from ‘mock ballot paper poll’: Sharad Pawar
Kolhapur (The Uttam Hindu): On the eve of his visit to Markadwadi village in Solapur district, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar on Saturday demanded to know why the villagers (Markadwadi) there were barred from conducting a ‘mock ballot paper poll’ on December 3.
Speaking to the media persons, Pawar (83) said that against the backdrop of the Assembly election results in the state, the Markadwadi (Malshiras constituency) villagers wanted to ascertain where exactly their votes had gone. “What is wrong with that? Why were the people of Markadwadi prevented from holding the ‘mock ballot paper poll’ that day,” asked Pawar, adding that he would go there tomorrow and seek their views on the issue.
Markadwadi shot to national prominence after it prepared to carry out the unique ballot paper polling exercise to challenge the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) inspired by the winner NCP (SP) MLA Uttamrao S. Jankar on December 3. However, the local police and district authorities clamped down on the villagers by issuing prohibitory orders, warned that even if a single ballot paper vote was cast they would take stringent action, and even initiated proceedings against over 100 locals, as the village grabbed the attention of all political parties in the country.
The NCP (SP) supremo cited polling data to emphasise how in the state Assembly elections last month (Nov. 2024), the MVA allies secured more votes but got fewer seats while the MahaYuti allies bagged fewer votes but managed to win more seats. In the 288-member house, the MahaYuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party bagged a total of 230 seats, the MVA partners managed only 48, and other parties/independents won the remaining 10 seats.
Pawar said the analysis of the voting data revealed that the Congress got 80 lakh votes, but elected only 16 MLAs, while the ruling Shiv Sena got 79 lakh votes, but got 57 seats, NCP (SP) bagged 72 lakh votes but managed merely 10 seats, while the ruling NCP got 58 lakhs votes and got 41 elected. “These vote figures are amazing…There is something… But I will not comment on anything till we have some basis and evidence to prove all this,” declared Pawar.
Hinting at possible malpractices in the EVM voting, Pawar pointed out that BJP seems to win elections in all the big states like Maharashtra or Haryana and ‘loses’ in the smaller states like Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir, “and in Maharashtra, there is no excitement on the ruling side though it has won such a landslide victory.”
Starting with Pawar’s visit tomorrow, Congress’ Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is likely to take out a padyatra in Markadwadi and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray will visit the village and other INDIA Bloc parties’ leaders are likely to go and meet the village folks in the coming weeks.
