Regarding EVM, Supriya Sule said that I have elected from this machine four times.
Omprakash Tiwari, Mumbai. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule's statement on Monday opposing the use of EVMs has not only shocked the Congress but also ruined her party's agenda.
One of the 10 MLAs of her party who won the Maharashtra Assembly elections last year had launched a movement for re-polling through ballot papers in his constituency, which was also supported by Supriya's father Sharad Pawar.
'I have won elections four times with this machine'
Supriya Sule, while speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that I have been elected four times using the same machine. Therefore, I will not raise questions on EVM or VVPAT. But now Supriya Sule, who has not made any adverse comment on EVMs, had maintained silence even when after the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in 2024, her party's winning MLA Uttamrao Jankar from Malshiras seat had insisted on conducting re-polling through ballot papers in his area.
He had also got re-polling done through ballot papers in his village Markadwadi two days before the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister. Which was later canceled by the administration and a criminal case was registered against the local people. Jankar had also submitted affidavits of 1,76,000 voters as evidence of EVM rigging.
'Need for change in voting process'
During this movement of Jankar, Supriya Sule's father and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) President Sharad Pawar along with the then state president of the party Jayant Patil had reached Markadwadi village to join Jankar's movement.
There he had said that the people of Markadwadi village have shown the right direction to the entire country by considering re-election through ballot papers. For this I want to thank all of you.
Then Pawar raised questions on EVMs and said that we have collected some data about EVMs. We have found that voting results from EVMs are unpredictable. Only the people of Markadwadi have understood this discrepancy, and have shown the courage to spread awareness on this issue. There is a need for change in this voting process.
Uddhav's party has also been raising questions on EVM.
Not only Supriya Sule's party, her allies Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra have also been raising questions on EVMs. Now with the declaration of elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, Supriya Sule's new views on EVMs are a big blow to her allies in the state politics.
Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray, who faced a crushing defeat in the assembly elections, are also these days joining the tune of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in raising slogans of match theft and opposing EVMs. But Supriya Sule is now seen walking on a different line.
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