Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Calls for EC Investigation into Alleged Postal Ballot and EVM Voting Discrepancies in Maharashtra Assembly Polls

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai has raised concerns over discrepancies between postal ballot trends and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) results in the recently conducted Maharashtra assembly elections, urging the Election Commission (EC) to ensure greater transparency.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Sardesai, who won the Vandre East seat by defeating NCP’s Zeeshan Siddique, pointed out an unusual spike in voter turnout during the final hours of polling. He highlighted what he described as “statistical anomalies” in the EC’s data. “While I am not making direct allegations, the data raises several doubts that must be addressed,” Sardesai said. “The Election Commission must ensure accountability to maintain public trust in the electoral process,” he added.

Sardesai went on to point out that in the assembly polls, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance led in 31 constituencies through postal ballots, compared to the BJP-led Mahayuti’s 16. However, the final EVM results showed the Mahayuti securing a landslide victory with 230 seats, while the MVA was left with just 46. He cited specific instances, such as the case of Worli, where Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray secured 874 postal votes and 62,450 EVM votes. His opponent, Milind Deora, received 522 postal votes and 54,001 EVM votes. Sardesai claimed that similar voting patterns were observed in other constituencies, with notable discrepancies in the vote shares of MVA leaders, including Congress’s Nana Patole and NCP (SP)’s Jayant Patil.

“In nearly every instance, MVA candidates saw a 5% to 15% drop in votes from postal ballots to EVM results, while Mahayuti candidates experienced an equivalent rise…This raises serious concerns about the integrity of the EVM system,” Sardesai said.

Sardesai called for an investigation into these anomalies, stressing the importance of resolving any doubts to preserve the credibility of the electoral process. “The Election Commission’s primary responsibility is to ensure free and fair elections,” he added.