The BJP wants to run the government for the next five years by diverting the public’s attention from real issues and focusing on Hindutva. Even women who voted for BJP, saying they supported the party because of schemes like “Laadli Behen Yojana” along with the Chief Minister, no longer wish to back BJP. This is because they are now going to cut down the Laadli Behen beneficiaries after a thorough scrutiny, a process that has already begun. Women who had applied without understanding eligibility, which was never clearly explained to them, will be asked to return the money, or deductions will be made from their accounts with a negative balance. Moreover, corruption within the bureaucracy is likely to create a new area of corruption due to the fear of police action.
There is a strong possibility that, just as the Maratha reservation was blocked, the BJP might send someone to court against the Laadli Behen Yojana and get a stay on it.
Investigating the anomalies in Voter Data
Let’s examine some things in this context:
Dr. Nimesh Sane, a software engineer, along with prominent statisticians, election analysts like Dhruv Rathi, Ashok Wankhede, Raju Parulekar, and social activists like Aseem Sarode, and political leaders (even some from the ruling party) are raising concerns that there are irregularities in election statistics and voting percentages.
In May this year, there were 9.3 crore eligible voters in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections. But in just five months, by the time of the assembly elections in November, the number had increased to 9.7 crore eligible voters, an increase of 40 lakh voters with a rise in the voting percentage. As a result, nearly 69 lakh additional votes were cast in the assembly elections. However, this rise in votes raises serious questions. How did these 69 lakh voters appear, and why did they all vote solely for the BJP-led alliance? This discrepancy is highly suspicious.
Gender-based Voter increase raises doubts
During the Lok Sabha elections, 2.63 crore women voted, while in the assembly elections, this number increased to 3.06 crore, a rise of 43 lakh women voters. It is incorrect to attribute this increase solely to the “Laadli Behen Yojana.”
We must acknowledge the possibility that many women, particularly farmers’ wives, may have voted for the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) due to the discontent with the lack of fair prices for agricultural products over the past three years.
The decline in Mahavikas Aghadi Votes
In the Lok Sabha elections, the Mahavikas Aghadi secured around 2.55 crore votes. This number decreased to 2.27 crore in the assembly elections, a loss of 29 lakh votes. The cause of this decline is suspicious.
On the other hand, the Mahayuti’s votes increased from 2.48 crore in the Lok Sabha elections to 3.17 crore in the assembly elections, an increase of 69 lakh votes. This increase in votes raises the question of how all these additional votes went to the Mahayuti. Again, this is highly dubious.
Farmers’ issues and the influence on Voting behaviour
Farmers are still not receiving fair prices for their agricultural products. This might have led many farmers and their families to vote for the MVA in the hope of resolving these issues. The MVA should investigate why the Lok Sabha votes for them fell but the assembly votes showed a significant decline. Was it due to the unfulfilled promises, or was it the strategic failure of Congress in ticket distribution, revolt, and a lack of grassroots leadership? The reason why Congress lost 21 lakh votes despite contesting so many seats need to be understood.
Changes in the Voter demographic and irregularities
There were reports of inconsistencies between the number of votes cast and counted, with several incidents of malfunctioning EVMs and voter list discrepancies. These irregularities need to be examined to understand how the voter turnout could increase so drastically between the evening and late night of voting day. There were also reports of last-minute increase in vote counts, raising doubts about the transparency of the process.
Election anomalies and suspicion of manipulation
Former Election Commissioner Qureshi has raised doubts about the conduct of the elections, which need to be addressed by the current Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. The results in Maharashtra have shocked everyone. However, it is essential to analyse the situation and begin taking action.
Urgent need for Democratic Change
As of now, citizens must unite to protect the democracy that is at stake. It is essential to create a peaceful movement where citizens, especially the youth, express their desire to restore democracy. A peaceful protest can be organized on December 5 from 1-3 pm, where people gather with images or posters of Mahatma Gandhi, wearing black bands and forming human chains. This symbolic action will help send a message globally about how democracy is being undermined in India.
Citizens should not be afraid of arrests or notices. This is a small but meaningful act of defiance to show the government that the people are still strong in their commitment to democracy. Let us come together to protect the values of democracy for ourselves and future generations. This is the crucial test for our nation – will it pass or will it succumb to authoritarianism?
The original comment was sent to Sabrangindia by the author in Marathi
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.
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