On 23rd November, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) candidate and husband of Bollywood’s flop actress Swara Bhaskar, Fahad Ahmad, lost the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 from the Anushakti Nagar seat by a margin of over 3,300 votes to NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate Sana Malik. Fahad was leading on the seat for a few rounds, but towards the end, he lost to Sana, leading to him appearing on camera and ranting against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), claiming that on the machines where the battery was at 99%, Sana gained the lead.
After round 16 and a steady lead in all rounds.. EVM machines that were 99% charged were opened and BJP supported NCP Ajit Pawar candidate took a lead .. @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI this is rank manipulation. We demand a recount of rounds 16, 17, 18 and 19. pic.twitter.com/Z2JuUyIQqc
— Fahad Ahmad (@FahadZirarAhmad) November 23, 2024
At around 1:30 PM, Fahad issued a video statement on the social media platform X and claimed that he was leading until the 17th round. However, when the counting started on machines with a 99% battery, Sana Malik gained an “unexpected” lead.
Fahad raised questions about the authenticity of the EVM machines and vowed to write to the Election Commission for a recount. He said, “I hope the results will not be announced for the seat before the recounting is done.”
Self-proclaimed social activist Swara Bhaskar also joined her husband in the rant. In a post on X, she wrote, “In #AnushaktiNagar vidhaan sabha, after a steady lead by Fahad Ahmad of NCP-SP in rounds 17, 18, 19, suddenly 99%-battery-charged EVMs are opened, and the BJP-supported NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes the lead. How can machines that have been voted on ALL day long still have 99% charge?”
In #AnushaktiNagar vidhaan sabha after a steady lead by @FahadZirarAhmad of NCP-SP.. round 17, 18, 19 suddenly 99% battery charger EVMs are opened and BJP supported NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes lead. How can machines that have been voted on ALL day long have 99% charged… https://t.co/GknxDWOb5v
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) November 23, 2024
Election Commission debunked ‘99% battery’ rhetoric
This is not the first time the claims of BJP winning on machines with 99% battery has come to fore. Election Commission has already debunked such claims last month after Congress raised suspecion of malpractice during elections. The Election Commission of India responded to the claims and dismissed them. Official sources of the ECI told the media that there is link between battery charge levels and voting numbers shown in EVMs. The officials explained that alkaline batteries are used in the Control Unit of the EMVs, and new batteries are inserted on the commissioning of the EVMs for the election in the presence of candidates or their agents, and then the machines are sealed.
The battery provides a voltage between 7.5 and 8 volts. When the voltage is above 7.4, the battery capacity is displayed as 99 per cent. As the battery charge is consumed with the use of the EVM for voting, the charge level is displayed as coming down gradually from 98% to 10%. The EVM works till the battery has over 5.8 volts. Before reaching 10% charge, the control unit starts displaying a low battery warning. The ECI further explained that the capacity of the battery on the counting day depends upon the mock poll conducted on the control unit, the actual poll and the initial voltage of the battery which can vary between 7.5 to 8 volts.
