Sharad Pawar's anti-EVM protest sparks political storm in Maharashtra

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Sharad Pawar, known for his sharp political statements, stirred controversy on Sunday by questioning the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Pawar, who participated in an anti-EVM protest at Markadwadi village in Solapur district’s Malshiras Assembly constituency, said the dissatisfaction among voters over the recent Maharashtra Assembly election results was palpable.

Markadwadi, a small village in Solapur, has become the focal point of unrest after villagers expressed skepticism about EVMs and demanded elections be conducted via ballot papers. Frustrated by the outcome of the Assembly polls, residents attempted to organize a mock re-poll using ballots, prompting police intervention and the registration of cases against several individuals.

Addressing a gathering at the village, Sharad Pawar lambasted the system and questioned the use of EVMs, citing examples from global democracies. "Why should we not demand ballots when countries like the United States, England, and other European nations conduct elections through paper ballots? We will take your complaints to the Election Commission and the Chief Minister, urging them to reconsider and allow elections via ballots," Pawar declared, drawing cheers from the crowd.

BJP hits back hard The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wasted no time in responding, accusing Pawar of misleading the people to cover up his political setbacks. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticized Pawar’s remarks as baseless and aimed at reviving his waning influence.

"Sharad Pawar should accept defeat gracefully. He suffered a massive setback in this election, just like in the Lok Sabha elections, where similar lies were rejected by voters. Now, he’s resorting to gimmicks in Markadwadi.

EVMs have been used in several elections in Maharashtra without opposition from him until now," Bawankule asserted during a counter-program held in the village. As Maharashtra braces for local body elections, the Markadwadi episode highlights the intensifying political polarization in the State.