Invalid Ballots Spark Controversy in Nagpur Graduates' Poll
The Nagpur graduates' constituency election saw Congress's Abhijit Wanjarri secure victory amid disputes over invalid ballots.
BJP claims invalid ballots led to Sudhakar Kohale's defeat by 3,271 votes.
Over 15,000 votes were declared invalid, with many marked incorrectly.
Congress's Abhijit Wanjarri won with 67,231 votes after second-preference transfers.
In the recent Nagpur graduates' constituency election, the number '2' became a contentious issue, significantly impacting the results. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attributed the defeat of their candidate, Sudhakar Kohale, to a high number of invalid ballots. Meanwhile, Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjarri benefited from the transfer of second-preference votes, securing his second consecutive term in office.
Out of 2.55 lakh registered voters, approximately 1.65 lakh participated in the election. During the counting process, over 15,000 votes were declared invalid. BJP officials reported that between 8,000 and 9,500 ballots were rejected because voters marked '2' next to Kohale's name without indicating a first preference. Other invalid ballots were attributed to voters circling the number '1' or making notes in the corners of the ballot papers.
Kohale, who lost the election by 3,271 votes, expressed that the invalid ballots could have changed the election's outcome. He stated that had these ballots been accepted, he would have surpassed the required quota based on first-preference votes. The BJP requested a verification and recount of the approximately 15,000 invalid ballots, but this request was denied by election authorities.
The BJP raised questions about how such a significant number of educated voters could make similar mistakes in marking their ballots. They speculated whether this pattern was due to a lack of voter awareness or a deliberate effort to sway the election results. As the counting progressed, Wanjarri initially had 58,405 votes against Kohale's 61,734 after 35 candidates were eliminated. The elimination of Nitesh Karale, a rebel from the Nationalist Congress Party, triggered the transfer of his votes, which ultimately benefited Wanjarri.
After the transfer, Wanjarri's vote count increased to 67,231, while Kohale received an additional 2,226 votes, bringing his total to 63,960. This final tally confirmed Wanjarri's victory with a margin of 3,271 votes, highlighting the significant role that second-preference votes played in the election outcome.
