Maharashtra state Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday visited Markadwadi village in Solapur district. During his meeting with villagers who had wanted to hold a ballot paper voting in the village, Patole said that while democracy in neighbouring countries is being dismantled, efforts to undermine democratic systems in India have begun.
According to Patole, In a democracy, the voter is considered the king, but now the vote of this "king" is being stolen”. People harbour doubts about EVM machines, which is why the residents of Markadwadi have shown the way to the nation by demanding voting through ballot papers to ensure transparency. To safeguard the right to vote in a democracy and ensure elections are conducted via ballot papers, a large-scale movement similar to the Bharat Jodo Yatra will soon be launched, starting from Markadwadi village,” said Patole.
Patole was accompanied by former MLA Ramhari Rupanvar, chief spokesperson of the Pradesh Congress Committee Atul Londhe, and other district-level leaders.
Speaking to the villagers, Nana Patole stated that the surprising results of the assembly elections have raised questions about the election process itself. According to official figures released by the Election Commission on polling day at 5 PM, 58.33 per cent voter turnout was recorded. However, this figure rose to 65.2 per cent by 11:30 PM that same night, and further to 66.05 per cent by 3 PM the next day, November 21.
Patole questioned how an additional 7.6 million votes were recorded and demanded video evidence of long queues after 5 PM in any constituency. He has written to the Election Commission, but is yet to receive a response.
He assured the villagers that the Congress party stands resolutely with the villagers of Markadwadi in their fight to save democracy. Villages across the state are now passing Gram Sabha resolutions demanding voting through ballot papers. “The movement that began in Markadwadi is spreading statewide. Protests have erupted in villages like Kolewadi in Sangli district and Mangaon in Raigad district, turning this fight from a local to a nationwide movement.”
Patole informed that all developments in Markadwadi have been communicated to Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, and plans for a large-scale rally, similar to the Bharat Jodo Yatra, are underway.
When the residents of Markadwadi decided to conduct only a mock polling exercise, the government became alarmed and attempted to suppress the voice with police assistance. Section 144 was imposed, and numerous cases were filed against individuals. Nana Patole assured that he would follow up with the chief minister to demand the immediate withdrawal of cases filed against the villagers.