Maharashtra village passes resolution to use ballot papers in future polls
Mumbai: The demand for conducting elections on ballot papers is gaining momentum in Maharashtra as Kolewadi village in Satara district has resolved to conduct future elections on ballot papers expressing doubts over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Kolewadi is the second village in the state to pass a resolution against EVMs after Markadwadi in Malshiras constituency in Solapur district.
Kolewadi village falls under the Karad (South) assembly constituency, earlier represented by veteran Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who faced a surprising defeat to BJP’s Atul Bhosale by a margin of over 39,000 votes in the recently held Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha polls.
The result was considered as a huge upset as the constituency was considered as a traditional Congress stronghold. In 16 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections so far, Congress had won the Karad South constituency consecutive 13 times.
Following Chavan’s defeat, the Kolewadi villagers had expressed doubts about the credibility of the EVMs.
“The Kolewadi gram sabha passed a resolution stating that future elections should be conducted through ballot papers without EVMs. We have resolved that the people of Kolewadi will vote only if the process is conducted using ballot papers. We won’t vote if EVMs are used in future elections,” a villager said.
He demanded that the Election Commission should revert to the ballot paper mechanism in view of a “collective demand.” If the administration doesn’t allow us to vote on ballot papers, we will boycott the polling process, he added.
The Kolewadi villager’s demand came after villagers from Markadwadi in Solapur’s Malshiras constituency tried to conduct mock ‘re-polling’ using ballot papers expressing doubt on the credibility of EVMs. However, their bid was thwarted by the administration and police, leading to the registration of cases.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that his party will carry out a ‘Bharat Jodo’ like movement to press for the paper ballot in the election.
Patole visited Markadwadi and expressed strong solidarity with the local villagers whom he referred to as the ‘warriors of Markadwadi’. The Congress leader assured the villagers that he would follow up with the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis so that the cases filed against the villagers are withdrawn immediately. He also strongly condemned the imposition of Section 144 and police actions saying that they are aimed at suppressing their peaceful protests and asserted that democracy must be protected at all costs.
BJP leader Gopichand Padalkar, who also visited Markadwadi, challenged NCP chief Sharad Pawar to ask his daughter and grandnephew to resign if they don’t trust Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Padalkar, addressing a gathering, accused Pawar and other MVA leaders of misrepresenting the Dhangar community’s stance on EVMs.
