Bid to conduct 're-poll' using ballot papers in Maharashtra

Police registered a case against more than 200 persons from Markadwadi village and nearby areas in Maharashtra's Solapur for allegedly trying to conduct a "re-election" using ballot papers on Tuesday in an unauthorised manner, officials said.

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They were also charged for allegedly spreading misinformation about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the police said. Authorities said the move by a group of residents of Markadwadi was illegal as there was no provision for conducting a re-poll using ballot papers under any circumstances. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Nana Patole hailed the residents of Markadwadi for their courage, and said they took the first step in the fight for protecting democracy. The group of villagers had insisted on a re-election with ballot papers while casting doubts on the votes counted through EVMs for a polling booth at Markadwadi in the recently-held state polls.

However, they relented and gave up their plan after police's intervention. The village comes under the Malshiras assembly constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar defeated BJP's Ram Satpute by 13,147 votes in the November 20 state polls, the results of which were declared on November 23.