Sharad Pawar fuels EVM debate, questions BJP's election wins

Sharad Pawar has joined the EVM machine debate by hinting that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s performance was due to the Electronic Voting Machines used in the election. Sharad Pawar also blamed the Ladki Bahin scheme as well as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s Batenge toh Katenge as reasons for the Maha Vikas Aghadi loss.

In a Press conference in Karad, Pawar first claimed that he would not speak on the EVM’s being manipulated to get the EVM’s however he gave ample hints that he suspected that there was foul play.

“Some people are saying that the EVM’s were brought from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (where the BJP has done well) but I don’t have information on it.”said Pawar.


“There are some people who have given a different angle to this,(EVM controversy). Four months back there were elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. The BJP lost in Jammu and Kashmir but won in Haryana. The Maharashtra polls were delayed by a month and taken with Jharkhand, now the Cong JMM has won in Jharkhand and the BJP in Maharashtra. So lose in a smaller state and win in a bigger state, this seems to be a funny game.”said Pawar.

Adding further, “ So if tomorrow somebody objects about the EVM they could say what about that state where you (opposition) came to power, this was the same EVM then.”said Pawar.

Sharad Pawar said that the results were ‘unexpected’. “This was very unexpected.. We have never experienced this (kind of a result) in so many years. We would study it and go before the people.”

The NCPSP leader blamed the BJP and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for running a campaign that created religious polarization. “The Batenge toh Katenge slogan by the UP Chief Minister to create a religious angle seems to be one of the reasons. They have tried to give a religious angle in the elections.”said Pawar.

He admitted that a reverse caste polarization may have happened in favour of the Mahayuti alliance due to the Maratha reservation agitation but said the result has to be studied over how the OBC’s and Marathas voted.

The NCPSP leader claimed that the Mahayuti government ran a campaign where they created a fear among the women electorate that the Ladki Bahin scheme would be shut if the opposition came to power. “Women were afraid that the scheme would be shut if the government was voted out, so they seem to have voted against us.” The NCPSP leader said that besides the scheme money among voters played a factor in the victory. He also acknowledged that the rival NCP under Ajit Pawar had done well but said that it was not a mistake to field Yugendra Pawar against him. “Somebody had to be fielded against Ajit Pawar… We knew about the results (of Yugendra losing) even before the results.”said Pawar. Referring to UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut blaming former Chief Justice D Chandrachud for the party’s loss, he said that the respect of institutions should be maintained and disapproved of Raut making the statement.