NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad accuses ECI of 'wiping' out EVM's data during Maharashtra polls

The NCP-SCP leader questioned the handling of election data by the ECI, claiming that 46 lakh votes suddenly appeared in Maharashtra within 4-5 months following the Lok Sabha elections.

"We wanted to have a recounting of the machines that were there on the table along with the data. Now, they are saying that the data has been wiped out and they will show new data, and re-count and show it. Then, no mistake will be seen in it, is it a joke? The data on which we have doubts has been wiped out, so are we blind? All this is done by ECI...After losing the Lok Sabha elections, votes were increased. 46 lakh votes in 4-5 months, only in Maharashtra," Awhad said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar also expressed concerns over discrepancies in the EVM votes in the Maharashtra Assembly elections but acknowledged that he had no concrete proof to back his claims. "This has happened for the first time, the elections held in the country have made people very restless, there is disappointment among the people...Every day at 11:00 am, the opposition leaders raise questions in the Parliament. They put forward their point but their demands are not being accepted in the Parliament and this means that Parliamentary democracy is not being followed properly. If it continues like this, then it is not right and for this, we will have to go among the people and make them aware," Sharad Pawar told reporters in Pune.

Regarding the alleged discrepancies, Pawar added, "There seems to be a difference in the EVM votes, but I currently have no proof. Some people have requested a recount. We will see what happens, but I don't have much hope from this process."

The opposition party and leaders have raised questions over EVMs after the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Claiming that the "integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised," Congress on Friday slammed the Election Commission and vowed to launch a "national movement."

"The Congress Working Committee (CWC) believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections are a constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. Increasingly sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement," the Congress said in a statement.

Notably, Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback in the recently held Maharashtra state elections as the party won just 16 seats out of 288 assembly segments while its ally Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, won 20 seats, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction secured just 10 seats.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious with 132 seats, while its allies--the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar--secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively. (ANI)