Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will lead a nationwide tour demanding the use of ballot papers in elections on the lines of Bharat Jodo. This was announced in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Also on the anvil is a plan to launch a statewide signature campaign in Maharashtra demanding elections using ballot paper. Petitions will be sent to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and the Election Commission, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole announced here on Wednesday.

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Despite having a brute majority, the BJP alliance failed to appoint a chief minister or form a government even four days after the results of the assembly elections in the state. Issues related to farmers’ concerns, unemployment, inflation, and law and order persist, but the BJP alliance seems indifferent to public welfare.

According to Patole, the next Maharashtra chief minister will only be decided after a “friend” gives the green light, as half of Mumbai and Maharashtra were sold during the last 2.5 years. He claimed that this government would continue selling the state.

Addressing questions about the Supreme Court’s statements on EVMs, Patole expressed concern, questioning whether political opinions could be made in such judgments. He emphasised the need for clarity in legal provisions behind such decisions but refrained from further comment on the judiciary’s verdicts.