Congress to Initiate Nationwide Movement for Ballot Paper Voting: Nana Patole
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Solapur, Dec 10 (NationPress) Commending the determination of the Markadwadi voters, Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole announced that his party will embark on a nationwide campaign advocating for the reinstatement of ballot paper voting systems, starting from the village on Tuesday.
“We honor the residents of Markadwadi for leading the charge, expressing their discontent with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and calling for ballot paper polling. We stand united with you in this battle to protect Democracy and the Constitution,” stated Patole.
He demanded the retraction of charges against the Markadwadi villagers who attempted to hold a ‘mock ballot paper poll’ on December 3 – an initiative that was interrupted by police and local officials. Patole noted that this mass movement would be modeled after the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, recently appointed as the Congress Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Patole shared that all information regarding the Markadwadi initiative has been communicated to Rahul Gandhi, and preparations are in progress for a national-level campaign against EVMs.
“As democracies in neighboring nations face systematic dismantling, a similar threat looms over India. The voter is the ‘king’ in democracy, yet their ‘vote’ is being compromised through EVM manipulations,” asserted Patole.
He remarked that the public is increasingly skeptical of EVMs, which has motivated the residents of Markadwadi to lead the nation towards ensuring transparency in voting by reverting to ballot papers.
“This movement was not initiated by political parties; it was you, the people, who took the lead. The mass crusade will commence from Markadwadi itself to uphold the rights of the citizens and protect the nation,” emphasized Patole.
“Inspired by Markadwadi, many villages across the state are adopting resolutions to demand ballot paper voting henceforth. Anti-EVM protests have emerged in several villages in Sangli, Raigad, with demands for mock ballot paper voting proliferating in numerous other villages,” Patole highlighted.
Discussing the December 3 ‘mock ballot paper poll’, the Congress leader stated it unsettled the government, prompting them to silence the people’s voices through police intervention and legal actions against the villagers, which should be revoked.
Among those present with Patole were prominent Congress figures, including former MLAs Ramhari Rupanvar, Harshavardhan Sapkal (President of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Organization), Atul Londhe (Chief Spokesperson), Nandkumar Pawar (Solapur District President), Chetan Narote (Solapur City President), Prof. Yashpal Bhinge, along with hundreds of villagers who attended the rally.
On Sunday, Sharad Pawar, President of Nationalist Congress Party (SP), visited the village. Uddhav Thackeray, President of Shiv Sena (UBT), is expected to visit soon, and Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Markadwadi for a ‘padyatra’ in the upcoming weeks.
