Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday expressed deep regret over the “confusion and misunderstanding” his controversial ink remark has caused and requested the Election Commission to treat the issue as closed.
In his reply, Pawar said usually the families of headloaders dwell in villages while the men work in cities. Pawar said he had only emphasised that those registered in villages should vote there while those who are voters in city should exercise their franchise there. The Minister stressed that he had no intention of asking anyone to vote twice and he was only asking people not to miss their right to vote. Pawar said he had not made the statement in a political rally and neither was it a political statement.
In its notice, the EC had said Pawar prima facie violated the Model Code of Conduct by his “ink” remarks and asked him to explain by 5 PM on Thursday, failing which it will take a decision without further reference to him. Addressing Mathadi workers (head loaders) in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, Pawar asked them to take advantage of the multi-phase polling in the State by voting twice, first at their hometowns and then at places of work and also asked them to “erase the indelible ink applied to the forefinger”.
But Pawar rejected the charge of BJP’s Kirit Somaia that he had asked the gathering of headloaders to vote twice by taking advantage of the multi-phase election in Maharashtra, sources said. Somaia had moved EC against Pawar.