The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday continued their verbal spat over the Bhanupratappur assemby by-election held on Monday.
Election BJP in-charge Brijmohan Agarwal said the Congress failed to discuss issues of development and used the balloting to defame the BJP candidate, Brahmanand Netam, by hurling false allegations against him.
The people of Bhanupratappur will give a befitting reply, he said.
Former BJP MP Ramvichar Netam said he had never seen a scenario where a party candidate was maligned in this manner.
The BJP accused the Congress of misusing the government machinery for the election. No action was initiated when BJP workers raked up the issue of illegal sale of liquor and distribution of materials including sarees, they alleged.
Countering, PCC President Mohan Markam said that even after 24 hours of polling, BJP leaders were trying to find an escape route for the inevitable defeat.
He said in every by-election, the BJP alleged misuse of government machinery.
Markam said the BJP has in a way accepted defeat. It may later put the total blame on its candidate, he said.
The Bhanupratappur by-election was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA and Deputy Speaker Manoj Singh Mandavi.