‘MOCK POLL’ FEVER HAS GONE VIRAL IN VILLAGES OF MAHARASHTRA AFTER NOV 23’

Villagers of Markadwadi, a small village in Solapur of Maharashtra holding a mock poll for “reelecting” their representative using ballot papers on December 3, apparently might be construed as expression of distrust over the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) but in reality this exercise exposed the dubious
election exercise of Rajeev Kumar’s Election Commission, it also makes the Supreme Court to have a relook at its month old order justifying use of EVM.

It was a mock poll, but its impact and ethical intensity could be measured from the simple fact that the state administration had to impose curfew to prevent them from implementing the programme. Instead of confessing the truth, the district administration came out with the clarification that curfew was imposed to maintain law and order, which is absolutely a white lie. Instead the word “law and order” was an act of hyperbole of the administration to prevent the exercise. Villagers alleged that the police pressured them to call off the exercise.

The Solapur police registered an FIR against 200 people for violating prohibitory orders. The people had
organised this poll to extend support to their favourite candidate and assure him to continue to stand by him. But unfortunately state administration’s action has dragged the election commission in the midst of controversy. The administration through its action simply endorsed the peoples’ perception of large scale manipulation of votes and strengthened their mistrust against the election process.

The most interesting part of the exercise was, it was not organised in favour of the defeated candidate. Instead it was an exercise to show villagers’ support to NCP (SP) MLA Uttamrao Jankar, who defeated BJP’s Ram Satpute from the Malshiras seat. While the entire village had voted for Jankar, but the EVM showed Satpute as the winner from the village. The villagers were agitated and strongly nursed that some major glitch had taken place. It was to demonstrate their loyalty to Jankar they had organised the event.

The exercise was to be held in the village to challenge the actual count of votes cast by the village through
EVMs on November 20. The administration had already denied them permission. Since the police did not give permission, they decided to organise a march on December 6 seeking justice over the manipulation of EVMs.

The state administration had failed to visualise that the exercise which was only for the village Markadwadi would spread across Maharashtra and would not remain confine to the adjoining villages. A week before the villagers of Markadwadi decided to hold mock poll, Pune-based veteran social worker 95 year old Baba Adhav went on hunger strike at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule to “safeguard constitutional principles” and stop use of EVM. Adhav who has observed elections since 1952 however lamented; “I never witnessed such blatant corruption.” Nevertheless, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray
persuaded nonagenarian Baba to end hunger strike with the promise to intensify the movement.

Both, Baba’s movement and mock poll have virtually created a rebellion like situation in Maharashtra with not only the opposition rank and file joining the agitation, but the common Maharashtrians acting as the
vanguard. Quite significant, the movement is not at all against government formation by NDA or the factional feud in the Mahayuti.

Solapur district collector Kumar Ashirwad told newsmen that a case was registered against at least 200
people for spreading distrust and rumours about the election process and for attempting to carry out repolling on ballot paper when there is no legal provision. He is simply telling lies. The villagers of Markadwadi have been aware that their exercise has no legal validity. They also did not intend to spread
rumours and distrust about the election process. Through this exercise, they simply intended to convey to the candidate who got less vote that they believe in him and had voted for him.

Ashirwad through his action at least did yeoman service of accepting the fact that electoral manipulation had really taken place. If it had not happened, he should have allowed the villagers to go ahead, as in that
case the entire exercise would not have been more than a kids’ play. But by prohibiting the exercise, he
simply endorsed the discernment of the villagers. DM’s action also blatantly contradicts the official
clarification that before the actual use of EVMs for polling, they undergo tests three times in the presence of representatives of all candidates. They are told to vote during the testing to ensure that the EVMs are working and after actual voting is over. If the DM or the officials were confident that no illegality or fraud had taken place, they should have allowed the villagers to go ahead with their exercise.

After this police action, some political parties and academics have come out strongly in favour of use of paper ballots. Reluctance of the district administration to allow villagers carrying out their exercise has turned the villagers sceptical of the observation of the Supreme Court. The court had observed that allegations of EVM tampering often stem from losing candidates and directed the petitioner to approach the appropriate authorities with grievances. Villagers seek to know from the apex court whom to approach, as the government officials are reluctant to believe them and outright reject their complaint. In such a backdrop the court should suggest the authority whom they can approach. No official would risk his job by
supporting the peoples’ stand.

Uttamrao Jankar has won the election. But he was defeated in Markadwadi though the villagers swear to have voted for him in bulk.. Jankar has never been defeated. When Jankar did not contest, the villagers voted candidate chosen by him. Which is why when on November 23 the votes were being counted, the
villagers of Markadwadi were shocked to see that he got defeated in their village.

Markadwadi has 2,046 voters, of whom 1,905 voted. Jankar who contested as NCP (Sharad) candidate got 843 votes Ram Satpute of BJP received 1,003 votes from this village. Although Jankar won with a comfortable margin of over 13,000 votes, the villagers say the voting from their village cannot be accurate.

The villagers are very clear of their mission. They point out: “we organised mock poll. It was being held to ensure that people trust the election process. In no way this should be seen as defiance of state. Instead it should be treated as a small contribution to the election process from us”.

There is no denying that if the Supreme Court had adopted a pragmatic view instead of outright dismissing the plea of manipulation of voting through EVM, probably the villagers of Markadwadi would not have organised this exercise. Nevertheless it has proved to be boon in disguise as the state administration through its aggressive punitive action has simply confirmed the fear of the people. EVM has been manipulated is no more an apprehension, instead the state action confirmed that it is the reality.

The incident has sparked a heated political debate, with leaders uniting to demand accountability from the government and Election Commission, as the struggle for democratic rights in Markadwadi takes center stage. Before Markadwadi event, this nature of mock poll was organised by the people in Kerala. On April 18 the apex court had asked the Election Commission of India to look into an allegation that extra votes were recorded in favour of the BJP in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).A bench comprising
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta passed this oral direction when a report regarding the EVM issue was brought to its attention.

The Election Commission has not been transparent in running the election process. Only a few days back Supreme Court asked the Commission to explain the capacity of EVMs after one Indu Prakash Singh challenged the ECI’s decision to raise the number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500. A bench led by CJI, Sanjiv Khanna expressed concerns about voting efficiency, noting that if an EVM processes only 45 votes per hour, it may not serve all voters during polling hours in high-turnout scenarios.