NCP (SP) Leader Jitendra Awhad Raises Concerns Over Voting Discrepancies in Maharashtra’s Talner Village

NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad has raised concerns over alleged discrepancies in the vote count in Talner village, which falls under the Kannad Assembly constituency. Sharing his apprehension on the social media platform X, Awhad pointed to an anomaly in the vote tally, which he believes raises serious questions about the accuracy of the election process.

"The number of votes recorded is much higher than the actual turnout. We will ensure that this matter is investigated thoroughly,” posted Jitendra Awhad on “X”. According to Awhad, Talner village has 396 registered voters, with 312 votes recorded as cast during the recent election. However, the total number of votes received by the candidates suggests otherwise:
• Shiv Sena (UBT): 194 votes
• Shiv Sena (Shinde faction): 326 votes
• Independent Harshvardhan Jadhav: 104 votes

This adds up to a total of 624 votes, which is far greater than the recorded turnout of 312 votes, prompting concerns over possible discrepancies in the voting process. While election officials have insisted that there is no fault with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Awhad stated that the matter would soon be brought to light.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on November 26 dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by evangelist Dr. K.A. Paul, who sought to reintroduce physical ballot voting in India. Dr. Paul, the President of the US-based Global Peace Initiative, argued that most democracies use physical ballots and cited alleged corruption in the EVM process.

Justice Vikram Nath, presiding over a two-judge bench, responded to Paul's petition by remarking, "When you win, EVMs are not tampered. When you lose, they are tampered." The court dismissed the plea, referencing similar claims made by political leaders such as Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Dr. Paul, who claimed to have the support of 180 retired IAS/IPS officers and judges, argued that the reintroduction of physical ballots was necessary to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process. However, Justice Nath questioned why India should adopt the methods of other democracies, to which Paul responded, "Because there is corruption." Despite his extensive humanitarian work and global outreach, Paul's plea failed to convince the court, with Justice Nath emphasizing that the allegations of EVM tampering were often unfounded and typically raised after electoral defeats.