Sharad Pawar Questions Restrictions on Mock Voting in Markadwadi Village

Kolhapur, Dec 7 (NationPress) On the eve of his visit to Markadwadi village in Solapur district, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar expressed his concerns on Saturday about the villagers being prohibited from conducting a ‘mock ballot paper poll’ on December 3.

In a statement to the media, Pawar, aged 83, pointed out that in light of the recent Assembly election outcomes in the state, the residents of Markadwadi (in the Malshiras constituency) were eager to determine where their votes had been allocated.

“What is the issue with that? Why were the people of Markadwadi not allowed to hold the ‘mock ballot paper poll’ on that day?” Pawar questioned, mentioning that he would visit the village the next day to gather their opinions regarding the matter.

Markadwadi gained national attention as it prepared to conduct this innovative polling exercise to contest the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), inspired by the winning NCP (SP) MLA Uttamrao S. Jankar on December 3.

However, local police and district officials intervened by issuing prohibitory orders, warning that even a single ballot paper cast could lead to severe consequences, resulting in legal action against over 100 village residents as the village attracted the focus of all political factions nationwide.

The NCP (SP) chief referenced polling statistics to highlight the anomaly where, in the state Assembly elections held last month (November 2024), the MVA coalition obtained more votes but secured fewer seats, while the MahaYuti coalition garnered fewer votes yet won more seats.

In the 288-member Assembly, the MahaYuti coalition, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party, won a total of 230 seats, while MVA allies only managed 48, and other parties/independents captured the remaining 10 seats.

Pawar analyzed the voting data, revealing that the Congress party received 8 million votes but only elected 16 MLAs, the ruling Shiv Sena gained 7.9 million votes and got 57 seats, while the NCP (SP) obtained 7.2 million votes but elected merely 10 members, and the ruling NCP achieved 5.8 million votes with 41 elected representatives.

“These voting figures are astonishing… There is something unusual here… However, I will refrain from commenting further until we have a solid basis and evidence to substantiate these claims,” asserted Pawar.

Alluding to potential irregularities in the EVM voting process, Pawar noted that the BJP consistently wins in larger states like Maharashtra and Haryana but struggles in smaller ones such as Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir. “In Maharashtra, there is a lack of enthusiasm among the ruling party despite their overwhelming success,” he added.

Beginning with Pawar’s visit tomorrow, the Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to embark on a padyatra in Markadwadi, while Uddhav Thackeray, President of Shiv Sena (UBT), is set to visit the village, along with leaders from other INDIA Bloc parties likely to meet with the local populace in the upcoming weeks.