In the Malshiras assembly constituency in Maharashtra’s Solapur, NCP-SP candidate Uttamrao Shivdas Jankar had recently defeated the BJP with a margin of over 13,000 votes. But the constituency’s Markarwadi village has decided to hold its own repoll today through “ballot paper”.
It is because a section of villagers are suspicious about the BJP’s Ram Vitthal Satpute clocking 160 votes more than the NCP-SP in the village’s three poll booths. And it is despite the police imposing curbs on unlawful assembly in the area through CrPC section 144 on Monday.
In every election since 2009, a majority of voters in Markarwadi had thrown their weight behind Jankar or a candidate backed by him. However, this time, when booth-level data suggested 160 more votes to a candidate other than Jankar, the panchayat submitted a request to the tehsildar for re-election, six days after the Maharashtra assembly poll results.
The letter, signed by sarpanch Vijya Markar, had also sought the assistance of government machinery to carry out the repolling, but the request was rejected on December 1. The Solapur police on Monday warned locals against carrying out the vote and said they will be booked under relevant sections in case of a law and order disruption since section 144 had been imposed in the area.
Newslaundry spoke to a dozen villagers, who insisted that they would carry on with the ballot “vote” from 8 am despite the police notice.
Sarpanch Vijya Markar claimed, “Initially we thought that maybe people had voted for Satpute. But then when people started talking to each other, we realised that most of the villagers had voted for Jankar. Then villagers gathered together and collectively took a decision after which, on behalf of the villagers, the panchayat approached the tehsildar and submitted an application for the re-voting.”
Amit Waghmode, the former sarpanch, claimed the village has a “tradition” to vote for a consensus candidate. “While not everyone follows it, about 75 percent of the villagers vote collectively for one candidate. Since 2009, we have consistently supported Jankar. In 2019, despite former deputy CM Vijay Sinh Mohite Patil – who has significant influence in the region – backing Ram Satpute, the villagers still voted for Jankar, who ended up with a lead of 1,046 votes in Markarwadi. Now, in 2024, Vijay Sinh Mohite Patil has returned to the NCP-SP alliance and is once again supporting Jankar. Given this, how is it possible that Jankar trailed in our village, especially when even his strongest rival has joined forces with him?”
Vijay Patil, another villager, said, “We aren’t sure whether the EVMs are faulty but one thing is clear – our village has been consistently voting for Jankar for the past 15 years…it seems highly unlikely that Jankar received only 843 votes while Satpute got 1,003 and managed to lead by 160 votes.”
Nanasaheb Markar, another local, said, “Whether it’s the panchayat, assembly or Lok Sabha, voters in Markarwadi cast their votes collectively to one person or one party. Two years ago, during the panchayat polls, 85 percent of the votes were cast in favour of one candidate.”
Bahu Patil, another villager, said, “There is a heavy police presence in our village. We are not asking for anything more; we just want to clarify our doubts and nothing else.”
Newslaundry reached out to Malshiras tehsildar Suresh Shejul and Solapur SP Shirish Sardeshpande for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.
Newslaundry reached out to Maharudra Parjane, in-charge of Natepute police station, but he didn’t respond. Rann Navre, an official from the police station, said that the police are yet to take any preventive action against any villager even though section 144 had been imposed.
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