Congress Candidate Injured in Police Action as Campaign End for MP Bypoll Sees Drama

Bhopal: There was much drama in Madhya Pradesh as campaigning ended for Kolaras and Mungaoli by-elections with the Congress alleging their candidate was injured in police action.

According to the Congress, a BJP MLA distributed money to buy voters and assaulting party workers who tried to stop them with police, in which their candidate was injured at Kolaras.

The BJP responded by releasing a picture of the Congress candidate distributing money to voters in Mungaoli constituency.

A Congress delegation complained to Chief Electoral Officer Salina Singh in Bhopal, party seniors –Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia – met Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat and lodged a complaint on Kolaras incident.

Trouble started in Khatora village in Kolaras late on Thursday night when Congress workers stopped an SUV belonging to Bhind MLA Narayan Singh Kushwah, alleging that the vehicle was filled with cash to be distributed along voters. Police reached the spot and used lathicharge to disperse the mob. In the action, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav and some of his supporters were also injured.

Mahendra alleged that Kushwah violated the model code of conduct. “His car had cash but the police helped his driver flee the spot with the money and instead beat us,” he said.

Police, however, said that the MLA has been booked under section 188 while adding if Congress comes up with any complaint, a case would be registered in their favour also.

Soon after MP, Congress leaders reached CEO Salina Singh’s office with the complaint.

“Congress workers accusing Bhind MLA of distributing cash among voters scuffled with him and police had to intervene. We have summoned a report from district administration,” Singh said.

Scindia and others met CEC OP Rawat in New Delhi and demanded removal of Shivpuri collector and SP while briefing him about the incident.

Congress workers also staged dharna outside Shivpuri collector Tarun Rathi’s residence.

BJP responded by issuing a picture of Mungaoli Congress candidate Brijedra Pratap Yadav meeting voters while one of his aides handed cash to them.

“The picture of Congress candidate was morphed. It is BJP’s desperation and fear of loss that they resorted to distributing cash and also got our men assaulted in Kolaras,” Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said.

He even claimed that the party has received pictures and videos of BJP MP from Sagar, Shailendra Jain, roaming in Mungaoli late at night after the campaigning ended and all outsiders were required to leave the constituency.

BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal termed Kolaras incident as well-planned drama from Congress leaders. “How come this was possible that several senior leaders reached New Delhi with the complaint barely hours after the campaigning ended,” he said.