Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has urged the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to address growing public demand for a return to ballot paper voting.
The appeal comes in the wake of widespread doubts regarding the mandate delivered by electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti secured a commanding victory, clinching 230 of 288 seats, prompting opposition leaders to question the credibility of EVMs. Patole voiced his concerns on Sunday, asserting that the results do not reflect the electorate's will.
"There is a widespread confusion among people about the new state government. A strong sentiment suggests that the government doesn't reflect the people's mandate," said Patole, addressing reporters.
The opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, has intensified its campaign against EVMs. Recently, senior leaders, including NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar, visited Markadwadi village in Solapur district.
The visit was to express solidarity with villagers who attempted to conduct a mock "repoll" using ballot papers to challenge EVM reliability.
"This public sentiment is not confined to Markadwadi but resonates across villages in Maharashtra. A demand for conducting voting through ballot papers is growing, with village sabhas passing resolutions to this effect," Patole claimed.
Patole accused the government of suppressing dissent, alleging, "Residents of Markadwadi had resolved to conduct a mock re-poll using ballot papers, but the government, with the help of the Election Commission and police, suppressed their efforts and filed cases against them."
The Congress leader further demanded an explanation from the ECI regarding an "unexplained addition of 7.6 million votes" to the total count.
"They have failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Manipulating votes is akin to the daylight murder of democracy. If such dissatisfaction arises in a democracy, it must be addressed. The Opposition will fight for this demand in the legislature and on the streets," he added.
Patole underscored the growing distrust among voters about the transparency of their ballots, saying, "The doubt among electors about their vote reaching the candidate of their choice should be resolved."
The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a petition last month seeking a return to paper ballots. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale observed, "What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs are not tampered with. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)."
The plea also sought measures against electoral malpractice, including disqualifying candidates found guilty of distributing money, liquor, or other inducements to voters.
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