Following the surprising results of the recent assembly elections, Markadwadi, a small village in the Malshiras tehsil of Solapur district, has captured national attention. The village came into the spotlight after locals conducted a controversial mock poll, sparking a heated debate across the country. The government’s efforts to suppress this mock poll became a focal point of discussion, while opposition parties rallied behind the villagers, calling for the reinstatement of paper ballots.
On Tuesday, Congress state president Nana Patole arrived in the village to rally the residents, promising that a campaign on the scale of the Bharat Jodo Yatra would soon be launched in their favour.
Addressing the crowd, Patole declared, “Congress stands with the villagers who are leading the charge to protect democracy. Now, other villages across the state are following suit, passing resolutions in favor of paper ballots. What started in Markadwadi is now spreading across the state. Even villages like Kolewadi in Sangli and Mangaon in Raigad are joining the movement. This is not just a local issue it’s a nationwide fight. We have informed Rahul Gandhi about Markadwadi.”
Patole further alleged that the government had resorted to heavy-handed tactics to silence the villagers after their mock polling initiative. He claimed that the authorities, in collaboration with the police, had filed cases against the villagers to suppress their campaign. Patole vowed to take up the matter with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to withdraw the charges against the villagers.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders also weighed in, visiting Markadwadi to voice their support for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). BJP leaders, including MLA Gopichand Padalkar, Sadabhau Khot and former Malshiras candidate Ram Satpute, organised a rally in Markadwadi to defend EVMs. They also launched a sharp critique of Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule.
Targeting Sharad Pawar, Padalkar stated, “Before advancing any campaign, Sharad Pawar must first demand the resignation of his daughter Supriya, his grandson Rohit, and party president Jayant Patil. Only after that can they continue their protests. Similarly, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi must resign if they want to continue making baseless accusations against EVMs. If they still have questions about EVMs, they should travel to Italy and investigate how elections are conducted there.”
