In major political development, the Election Commission of India on Monday served a show notice on NCP chief Sharad Pawar for his controversial “Erase-ink, vote-twice remark” made at a Mathadi (head load) workers at Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning.
Issuing a notice on the basis of a complaint lodged by BJP’s former MP and current candidate from Mumbai north-east constituency Kirit Somaiya with Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampat, the Commission’s Principal Secretary RK Srivatsava stated in a notice issued to Pawar that the NCP chief had — through his remarks at the Navi Mumbai rally — prima facie violated the relevant provision of the Model Code of Conduct. In its notice, the Commission asked Pawar to explain his stand on or before March 26, failing which the EC would take a decision without referring the matter to him.
Addressing a rally of Mathadi workers in Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning, Pawar had asked the migrant workers based in Mumbai’s satellite city and surrounding areas to go back to their native town of Satara in western Maharashtra and cast their vote first for his party on April 17 and then exercise their franchise in favour of his party on April 24, after erasing the ink applied on their index fingers earlier. In effect, he had suggested to the migrant workers to take advantage of the multi-phased lok Sabha elections in the State.
In his complaint lodged against Pawar, Somaiya stated: “During his speech at Navi Mumbai, he (Sharad Pawar) has clearly encouraged bogus voting by telling the people to vote twice by removing ink,” Somaiya stated, as he demanded an immediate probe into Pawar’s statement and strict action against NCP leader.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) joined the BJP in rooting for stringent action against Pawar. In a formal lodged with the EC, the AAP demanded action against Pawar, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other party leaders sitting on the dais of the Mathadi workers’ rally addressed by the NCP chief.