Trying hard to make the contest triangular in Maharajganj lok Sabha by-election, the Congress has decided to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission on the issue of the JD(U) allegedly misusing the Government machinery by involving a very large number of State Ministers for the campaigning purpose.
AICC in-charge of Bihar Gulchain Singh Charak told mediapersons in Patna on Monday that several State Ministers are camping in the constituency and persuading or even coercing people to cast their votes in favour of the JD(U) candidate and State Education Minister PK Shahi. He alleged that Ministers are moving from one street to another in their bid to influence voters, butchering the democratic spirit of any election in the process.
Charak said that he has advised both State Congress president Ashok Choudhary and the party candidate Jitendra Swami to raise the matter with the Election Commission by writing letters to the EC.
Maharajganj lok Sabha by-election, which was necessitated due to the death of sitting RJD MP Umashankar Singh will be held on June 2.
The Congress leader claimed that voters have already made up their mind to support Jitendra Swamy, the son of Umashankar Singh but State Ministers are trying to “influence” their decisions by meeting them individually. These Ministers will meet voters without any pomp or show in their bid to escape the public attention, the Congress leader contended.
He also demanded from the Election Commission to deploy the Central forces at all polling booths for the by-election as the State forces could not be relied up on when the State Government is determined to win the election by hook or crook.
The Congress leader said that Jitendra Swamy has a very fair chance of victory as voters want to send him to the Parliament for raising problems of the constituency in an effective manner when the Congress led UPA Government is taking special care for the speedy progress of the State.