Maharashtra: EVM row rages on as candidates who lost hit the street, seek probe

In some electoral panels, the total vote count was found to be more than the actual number of votes polled. In a letter to the State Election Commission, civic activist Vijay Kumbhar wrote, “There are only 15 electoral panels in PMC and 11 in PCMC where the data on number of votes cast and the final votes counted was the same. This means in 26 and 20 electoral panels, in the PMC and PCMC respectively, there is a mismatch of figures …

If candidates had grievances, they should have lodged a complaint with the returning officer after the results” said Dinesh Waghmare PCMC Commissioner

NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit president Sanjog Waghere said, “The BJP is in power and it has resorted to tampering EVMs… ,” said Waghere, adding that the NCP couldn’t have lost in Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the public mood was in favour of the party.

On the controversy, Pune Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar said the election data made public was “preliminary”. “There must be some miscalculation at the administrative level… the final data will make things clear,” he said, adding that they had kept the election process completely transparent and hadn’t received any specific complaints on the “malfunctioning” of EVMs.

They are finding it difficult to digest their shock defeats. But it is wrong to blame the EVMs” said
Girish Bapat District Guardian Minister

“It is obvious that the defeated candidates would make allegations, but the election staff work under a lot of pressure and put in their best effort,” said Kumar.

PMC election officer Satish Kulkarni said, “We will look into the figures in each ward and panel, on a case-to-case basis, to find the reason behind the differences in numbers as they should have been the same. However, the postal ballot done on paper might be one of the reasons for the mismatch of figures,”

But State Election Commissioner J S Saharia denied any possibility of the EVMs being tampered with. Saharia said the complainants should approach their respective municipal commissioners.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said, “If the candidates had any grievances, they should have lodged a complaint with the returning officer after the results were declared. The returning officer is the statutory authority in the case”.

Denying any possibility of EVM tampering, the PCMC official said, “The entire process… is held in the presence of representatives of all candidates. The EVM machines are kept in the strongroom in the presence of representatives of candidates… Even during voting, everything is done in the presence of polling agents.”

Waghmare said he had no power to announce an investigation in the matter. “The only remedy for the complainant is to approach the High Court,” he said.

They are finding it difficult to digest defeat: BJP

Refuting the allegations, District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat said, “They are finding it difficult to digest their shock defeats. But it is wrong to blame the EVMs. Everything is done in front of poll representatives…If there was tampering… then how could candidates, other than those from BJP, also win”.