Sharad Pawar, 83, hails anti-EVM hunger strike by 96-year-old Baba Adhav in Pune

Amid the growing chorus for a return to ballot paper voting, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar called on veteran social crusader, Dr. Babasaheb Pandurang Adhav, alias Baba Adhav and backed the latter's three-day hunger strike against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), here on Saturday morning. 

Pawar, 83, met the medico Baba Adhav, 96, who has been fasting since November 28, and expressed full support to the latter on the issue that has rocked the polity after the Maharashtra Assembly elections verdict (of November 23).

Besides the NCP (SP), Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leaders, besides Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Ajit Pawar, are slated to meet Baba Adhav later today, as he has red-flagged against the Election Commission of India (ECI) "to save democracy and Constitution".

"There have been huge discrepancies in the voter turnout figures declared by the ECI, kept changing, the vote-counting processes were allegedly manipulated to give undue advantage to the outgoing Mahayuti, and related aspects. The verdict is an assault on democracy," said Baba Adhav.

The frail, but firm, nonagenarian pointed out how the Mahayuti regime "doled out cash" to women (‘Ladki Bahin’) scheme just before the elections and undermined the state's delicate financial condition, as Pawar nodded in agreement.

"The government wants a democracy that gives it a monopoly without any Opposition (party). Therefore it is the duty and responsibility of all citizens to thwart this, and take a firm stance," urged Dr. Baba Adhav.

Speaking on the occasion, Pawar reiterated that there was massive "misuse" of the government machinery and a flood of money power during the state Assembly elections and Dr. Baba Adhav has raised his voice against all this.

"Huge doubts have been raised by the poll results... Dr. Baba Adhav has taken this step in the interest of the people, saving democracy and safeguarding the Constitution, for which we all are with him," said Pawar.

The NCP (SP) supremo said that the voting figures that have emerged from the ECI raise many doubts and the MVA has requested the national opposition INDIA bloc alliances to take it up, as some voiced concerns that an aged person like Dr. Baba Adhav is forced into a hunger-strike to draw the government's attention.

Since November 23, the MVA and other parties have pointed accusing fingers at the ECI and Maharashtra State Election Commission (M-SEC) on various aspects after the stunning outcome that landed an unprecedented landslide victory for the Mahayuti.

Among them are Nana F. Patole, M. Arif Naseem Khan, Ramesh Chennithala Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Jayant R. Patil, Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Kishore Tiwari, Sushma Andhare, Ashok Dhawale, Raj Thackeray, Bachhu Kadu, Anjali Damania and many more.

Till now, at least 22 losing candidates from various MVA parties and other smaller or regional outfits have lodged complaints with the M-SEC and demanded recounting of votes.

A small band of supporters representing various social and rationalist organisations have been sitting along with Dr. Baba Adhav, keeping a close watch on his health with medicos regularly checking his vital parameters.

Expected to call off his three-day agitation around 5 pm today, Dr. Baba Adhav’s hunger strike has sparked the public imagination, leading to similar protests with symbolic fasts to support him plus thumb-down the role of money-power and misuse of officialdom in the Assembly polls.

The hunger strike by Dr. Baba Adhav came as Congress chief Nana Patole shot off a letter to the M-SEC's Chief Electoral Officer, S. Chokalingam on November 29, pointing at purported lapses in the election, which the latter has denied.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com