Solapur (Maharashtra), Dec 8 (IANS): Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar issued a clarion call to reform the country's election system as the masses have lost faith in the existing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), during his visit to Markadwadi village here on Sunday.

Interacting with the villagers and later addressing a rally here, Pawar, 83, said that many advanced countries like the US, UK and others have already discarded EVMs and vote on ballot papers, and there's a necessity for the same in India.

"The people now have suspicions about the EVM elections verdict. The outcome is such that it fuels doubts in public minds. The masses feel that 'there is something wrong somewhere'. When the whole world is using ballot papers then why not India? There's a need to change the election system," declared Pawar.

Referring to the 'mock ballot paper polling' organised in Markadwadi on December 3 – which was foiled by the police and civil authorities – Pawar wondered what was wrong if the people wanted to ascertain if their votes had been accounted for or not.

"The authorities stopped the 'mock ballot paper' voting, the police clamped prohibitory orders and prevented them from the democratic exercise. We spoke to the people and the feedback is that although they had voted, the outcome was not on anticipated lines," Pawar contended.

He pointed out that now Markadwadi has shot to national prominence, with discussions all over and people enquiring where this village is situated, addressing the enthusiastic crowds with banners of 'EVM Hatao, Desh Bachao, Samvidhan Bachao' (Ban EVM, Safeguard Constitution, Save India).

"Why do we have a democracy... Is it wrong to question the election outcome? What was the need for the police to clamp down (December 3) here? The villagers must pass a resolution for 'ballot paper voting' and I shall take it up with all the concerned authorities," he said.

NCP (SP) MLA Uttamrao S. Jankar demanded what was the problem for the ECI to conduct just one election on paper ballot to dispel peoples' doubts.

"The ECI must consider our request. What is the harm in conducting the Assembly seat elections on ballot papers if it helps to clear doubts in public minds? If they don’t agree then we shall move the Supreme Court," said Jankar, as hundreds of his supporters endorsed his stance.

Earlier Pawar, state party chief Jayant R. Patil, senior leaders Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, Vidya Chavan and others – were accorded a warm welcome by Malshiras' NCP (SP) winning MLA Uttamrao S. Jankar, local organisation activists and a large number of excited villagers of Markadwadi which has come under national focus for its anti-EVM drive.

At their initial interaction with some voters, some women complained about how they were warned and dissuaded from going for the mock ballot paper polling that day, and some seniors demanded that EVMs should be banned as injustice was done to the voters.

After the NCP (SP) top brass visit today, Congress' Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and other INDIA-bloc allies were likely to go to Markadwadi in the coming weeks, besides building up national public opinion against EVMs.

At least three winning MLAs of MVA have said they are ready to quit as MLAs and fight elections again provided the ECI conducts it on ballot paper. They are state Congress President Nana F. Patole from Sakoli (Bhandara), SS (UBT)’s Sunil Raut from Vikhroli (Mumbai) and NCP (SP)’s Uttamrao S. Jankar from Malshiras (Solapur).

Other leaders like Patole, Aditya Thackeray, Rohit R. Pawar, and more have also voiced their concerns over EVMs, seeking a return to the paper ballot voting system.

Countering, the state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule dared all the (46) MVA legislators to quit if they had doubts about the EVMs, while NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule has demanded that the upcoming civic polls should be conducted on ballot papers to clear peoples doubts.

Other ruling MahaYuti allies Nationalist Congress Party's Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena's Uday Samant termed it the Opposition's drama as they have lost miserably in the Assembly polls and want to blame their failures on EVMs.