Show Proof: Sharad Pawar's NCP Slams Congress Over EVM Bashing

Mumbai: Signalling a rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after Congress blamed the EVM over its failure to secure majority in recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections, the Nationalist Congress Party ( Sharad Pawar faction) (NCP-SP) has rubbished the grand-old party's claim.  

The MVA consist of Congress, NCP ( Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray).

NCP (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule said that blaming EVM is wrong, weakening the voice of the opposition. She added that EVM can't be blamed without any concrete evidence.

I Won 4 Polls With Same EVMs: Sule

"I think it is not right for me to make allegations until I have some concrete evidence in hand. I won four polls with the same EVMs," said Sule during her visit to Pune on Wednesday.

"This whole issue (EVM malfunction) is very disturbing..Is there any technical problem in it or is there any discrepancy in the voter list..it needs to be discussed...until we have technical proof. Come on..it is not right to blame EVMs...until you have solid evidence…because I myself have won many elections with this EVM," she further said.

However, She expessed that several people and political parties, including BJD and AAP, claim to have the data to prove their allegations of EVM manipulation.

She added that discussions were needed to uncover the truth as others have claimed to possess evidence of manipulation. 

Congress Cries EVM Fraud

The Congress cried EVM tampering after the electoral defeat in Maharashtra and the setback in Haryana , and suggested a return to paper ballots. In the aftermath of the Maharashtra debacle, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge further urged party MP and LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi , to launch a campaign against EVMs and proposed the use of paper ballots in elections. Kharge had said the "votes of marginalised communities like SCs, SPs, and OBCs were being disregarded due to EVMs".

Maharashtra Assembly Election Results

Mahayuti registered a resounding victory in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securing 229 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, bagging 132 seats of the 149 seats it contested, securing a vote share of 26.77%. This is a step up from the 2019 Assembly elections, where the BJP had secured 105 seats and a 25.75% vote share. Its ally, the Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde faction), added a significant 12.38% vote share, further strengthening the coalition’s hold over the state. While Shinde-led Sena bagged 57 seats, the NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats. This victory positioned the BJP as the undisputed leader in Maharashtra politics, dominating both in terms of vote share and seat tally.

While the grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state polls, winning only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) got 10 seats while Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20.