At a time when senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been alleging bogus voting and manipulation of voters list in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MLA from Paithan Vilas Bhumre has caused a flutter in political circles claiming he brought in 20,000 voters from outside the state during the Maharashtra Assembly elections held last year. ''During the assembly elections, I have brought in nearly 20,000 voters from outside.These voters benefitted me 100 per cent,,' he said. Bhumre's comments came right in front of his party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday when he was addressing a party rally at Sant Eknath temple in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. District Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat was also present. His father, Sandeepan Bhumre, who is the local MP was also present. Even as Vilas Bhumre was making the comments, Shinde intervened and asked him to reveal where exactly he brought the voters from. Bhumre then clarified that voters from his constituency who were working outside were brought in on the day of the voting. ''We should work on voters' list. Shinde saheb guides us for working on voters list. During the ensuing Zilla Parishad and gram panchayat elections, party workers should work united.20,000 voters from my constituency had shifted elsewhere.I brought them on the voting day,'' he said. Speaking to The Indian Express on Saturday, Bhumre clarified that he meant that he brought in 20,000 voters from outside his constituency who were working at different places. ''These voters were either working outside of my constituency. Our party workers called them up and urged them to come for voting and exercise their democratic right. The Deputy Chief Minister did intervene but he told me to clarify who the voters were,'' he said. Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said,''Vilas Bhumre has confessed to vote theft. He has accepted that he has committed a crime. And Eknath Shinde tried to correct him by telling him that he should say that the voters were from his constituency and he brought them back.The Election Commission of India should file a police case for this confession.'' Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare said,''Vilas Bhumre confessed to vote chori and when his leader interruptted, he corrected himself. Those sitting on the dias were laughing without any shame. They were mocking the Constitution.''
