Pune: Rahul Kalate, the candidate representing the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, has filed an application with the Election Commission seeking verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the recent Chinchwad Assembly elections.
The contest in Chinchwad was between sitting MLA Shankar Jagtap and Rahul Kalate. Jagtap won the election with a resounding margin of over one lakh votes.
Doubting the integrity of the election results, Kalate has raised concerns over voter turnout and its potential implications on the outcome.
He pointed out that a considerable number of Chinchwad voters belong to other regions of Maharashtra and likely traveled to their native places to vote in the statewide elections. Despite this, the voter turnout in Chinchwad saw an unexpected increase, which Kalate has questioned.
To verify his concerns, Kalate filed a formal petition for EVM verification and reportedly paid ₹47,000 per booth, including GST, covering a total of 25 booths.
However, even after three to four days since filing the petition, the Election Commission has not provided a response. According to Kalate, the commission is expected to respond within 45 days, and he remains in anticipation of their reply.
Kalate’s demand for EVM verification has reignited discussions about the reliability and transparency of electronic voting processes, especially in cases involving significant margins of victory.
