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Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) Member of Parliament Supriya Sule recently shared her personal views on the election recount issue in Baramati.
Sule expressed her disagreement with Yugendra Pawar, the losing candidate in the Baramati assembly elections, who had requested a vote recount. "It is my personal view that Yugendra Pawar (losing candidate from Baramati assembly) should not ask for the recounting of the votes. Therefore, I asked him to withdraw the application for recounting, and he has done so," she stated. Sule, who has won four consecutive elections conducted via Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), defended the reliability of the system. "When I got elected four times by voting through EVMs, how can I claim there is a scam in it?" she questioned. However, she acknowledged concerns raised by some sections of society regarding electoral processes. "Many people are saying there are a lot of questions about the voters' list," she noted, highlighting ongoing debates over the legitimacy of the electoral process. The NCP leader underscored the importance of transparency in elections, regardless of the voting method. "If things are done transparently, be it EVMs or ballots, then what is the issue?" she asked. She added, "If people prefer elections using ballot papers, then let it be done that way. What is the problem?" Sule's comments reflected her belief in the necessity of a transparent electoral process and her opposition to the recount demands in Baramati. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for January 2025 on a plea filed by former Haryana Cabinet Minister and five-time MLA Karan Singh Dalal, seeking verification and scrutiny of EVMs used in the recent Haryana Assembly elections. The petition, co-filed with Lakhan Kumar Singla (a candidate in the Haryana elections), was presented before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Election Commission of India, informed the bench that a similar plea had previously been withdrawn before a bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta. In response, CJI Khanna directed that the petition be listed for hearing before Justice Datta during the week commencing January 20, 2025. Dalal's petition, filed through advocate Aljo K Joseph, seeks a policy for EVM verification and compliance with a prior Supreme Court judgement on the issue. Dalal and co-petitioner Lakhan Kumar Singla, who secured the second-highest votes in their respective constituencies, have requested that the poll panel implement a protocol for examining the original "burnt memory" or microcontroller of the four EVM components: the Control Unit, Ballot Unit, VVPAT, and Symbol Loading Unit. (ANI)
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