EVM verification a bid to placate party workers: Sujay Vikhe-Patil

“I do not have anything to achieve over here. However, considering the aggressive sentiments of party workers, especially since I lost by a narrow margin, I decided to apply for the verification,” Vikhe-Patil said.

EVM verification, Ahmednagar constituency

Vikhe-Patil (son of state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil) polled 5,95,878 votes. (Photo: Facebook)

The decision to apply for a verification of 40 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Ahmednagar was more to calm down the BJP party workers following his defeat than a personal wish, former BJP candidate from the constituency Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil said on Friday.

“I do not have anything to achieve over here. However, considering the aggressive sentiments of party workers, especially since I lost by a narrow margin, I decided to apply for the verification,” Vikhe-Patil said.

In a major upset in Ahmednagar constituency, Nilesh Lanke of the NCP-Sharad Pawar faction had cut short BJP candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil’s chances of being re-elected for a second term as MP.

Lanke emerged victorious and won the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 28,929 votes. Lanke had polled 6,24,797 votes while Vikhe-Patil (son of state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil) polled 5,95,878 votes. There were 24 candidates in the fray and a total of 13,22,195 valid votes were polled.

Ahmednagar district collector S Salimath confirmed that Vikhe-Patil had deposited money amounting to Rs 19 lakh for the verification of 40 EVMs. “As per the ECI directives, the losing candidate may apply for checking and verification of EVM within 7 days of counting. The charge is Rs 40,000 +GST (18 %) per set of EVMs,” he said.

The collector said that after 45 days (election petition period) the Election Commission of India will issue a schedule of the verification process . “The EVM engineer will verify in the presence of the candidate,” Salimath added.

Vikhe-Patil said they have sought verification of five EVMs each at Rahuri, Shevgaon, Ahmednagar and Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituencies and the remaining from Parner and Shrigonda. Vikhe-Patil claimed that the party workers were keen on understanding details at certain voting booths.

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“There has been significant developments and solutions had been arrived at some of the booths that had faced issues in the past. Hence to satisfy our party workers, I decided to apply for the verification and checking of EVMs at some of these booths,” he said.

Here it may be noted that this election was not a cakewalk for Vikhe-Patil despite his family being a dominant force in the cooperative sector and political scene in Ahmednagar for over six decades. Resentment and anger over onion prices among farmers and not lifting the ban on exports apart from the Maratha reservation issue were among the key factors that led to Vikhe-Patil’s defeat in the LS polls.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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