Reacting to Markadwadi villagers's demand to hold a poll through ballot papers instead of EVMs, NCP (SP) MLA Uttamrao Jankar — who was elected from Malshiras constituency, of which Markadwadi village is a part – Sunday offered to resign and called for fresh elections. He has, however, put forward a condition that the election should be held only through ballot papers. “I am ready to resign if the Election Commission promises to hold the election through ballot papers. That is my condition for putting in my resignation,” Jankar said after an NCP (SP) delegation led by party president Sharad Pawar arrived to interact with villagers. Last week, the local administration and police had foiled an attempt by villagers to hold a mock poll through ballot papers. The villagers had expressed their distrust of the recent Assembly elections conducted through EVMs. Jankar said, “What is the problem in holding one election in the country through ballot papers? If I am demanding that one election should be conducted through ballot papers, it does not mean that I am playing to the media… People here are not ready to accept what has happened.” Jankar said 1,400 villagers from Markadwadi told him that they voted for him. ''However, the figures put out by election officials have shown that I received 800 votes. My rival has received 1,000 votes. But only 500 people voted for my rival. I am going to ask 1,400 villagers to submit an affidavit to me. The affidavit should state that they have voted for me. Ninety-one villages from Malshiras taluka will pass a resolution and send it to the Election Commission, urging it to hold an election through ballot paper.” Jankar further said, “If we have to save democracy, only Sharad Pawar can save it. I am offering a proposal to hold one election in the country on ballot papers. I have also offered to resign on that condition. If the EC is not ready to listen, we will go to the Supreme Court.” The Malshiras MLA said his representatives had boycotted the counting process. “They suspected something amiss. In the western part of the constituency, I was trailing by 2,000 votes in every round. We immediately made an application that VVPAT counting should be done. However, EC officials said the process cannot be stopped,” he added. Jankar said that after the results were declared, people from the taluka came and met him. “Everyone was saying that they voted for me but where has their vote gone? People are stunned and not able to digest that I got fewer votes from their village,” he claimed. Jankar said that in 2019, Markadwadi had given him a lead of 1,043 votes. “That time, Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil and I were not together. Now when we are together, how can I get fewer votes?” he asked. In the recent Maharashtra elections, Jankar defeated his nearest BJP rival Ram Satpute by a margin of 13,147 votes. Addressing a gathering in Malshiras on Sunday, NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar said, “When I meet MPs from different parts of the country meet, they want to discuss just one thing. It is about Markadwadi village. They want to know where this village is. How did the villagers of Markadwadi realise something which the entire nation could not. The entire nation is praising villagers of Markadwadi. We are all happy about this.” Pawar said assembly election results had triggered doubts. “Some results are such that they have automatically created doubts. In countries like America and England, elections are not conducted through EVMs. People in these countries are opposing EVMs. They argue that to exercise their right, they don't need EVMs. Then why are we insisting on EVMs in our country ?” he asked. Pawar said when villagers of Markadwadi decided to conduct a mock poll through ballot papers, the police stopped them. “Prohibitory orders were imposed. In your own village, they restricted your movements. What kind of law is this? You decided to conduct a repoll and the police filed an FIR against you. Tell me about the role played by the police and the administration. I will take up your cause with the Election Commission, Chief Minister and the Prime Minister. Pass a resolution in all villages opposing EVMs and in favour of ballot papers. Give us the copy of the resolution. I will submit the copy to the Election Commission and the state government,” he said. Pawar said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday had advised him not to visit Markadwadi. ''What wrong have I done? Is it wrong to visit your village? Is it wrong to listen to your grievances? When villagers have doubts about the system and when I try to redress those grievances, is it wrong to do so? Why do we have democracy? If there are hurdles in protecting the rights of the people, then people's representatives should raise their voice against it. I want to point out to the Chief Minister that we don't want to politicise the issue. We should instead address the grievances of the villagers.We should ensure that such things do not happen which could lead to distrust about the election process among the people,” he said.
