Authorities, however, issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and deployed heavy police forces to prevent unrest. Deputy Superintendent of Police Narayan Shirgavkar stated, “We warned villagers that any attempt to vote would result in legal action and seizure of materials.”
Banners encouraging villagers to join the “unofficial” re-polling were displayed throughout Markadwadi. The villagers’ request for government officials to oversee the process was declined. In response, the administration issued notices warning residents against participating in the re-vote. Returning Officer Vijay Pangarkar emphasized that the original voting had been conducted transparently, with no irregularities reported at the three polling booths in the village.
The controversy stemmed from claims by villagers that NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar, who won the Malshiras constituency by 13,147 votes, received fewer votes in their village compared to BJP’s Ram Satpute, which they found implausible. Despite their distrust in EVM results, the villagers abandoned the “repoll” after police intervention.
Jankar, after discussions with police and villagers, confirmed the decision to cancel the re-election but vowed to pursue the issue with higher authorities. “We will approach the Election Commission and judiciary to seek justice,” he said, as villagers pledged to continue their protest through other means.
The Solapur administration reiterated that the original polling was conducted transparently, with no discrepancies noted. However, the incident has sparked debate over electoral integrity and public trust in EVMs.
