MP Congress MLA who vowed to blacken own face if BJP won 50 seats gets symbolic black ‘tika’

PTI

Bhopal, December 7

Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, who had pledged to blacken his own face if the BJP won 50 seats in the state assembly polls, on Thursday led an anti-EVM protest march here, during which his senior party colleague applied a symbolic black ‘tika’ on his face.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh applied the symbolic black tika on the forehead and face of the newly-elected legislator Baraiya.

Ahead of the November 17 Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, Baraiya had told reporters, “If BJP wins even 50 seats in 2023 elections, then Phool Singh Baraiya will blacken his face with his own hands in front of the Raj Bhavan, this is my pledge.”

However, the saffron party registered a resounding victory by clinching 163 of the 230 assembly seats, while the Congress won 66 seats and the Bharat Adivasi Party secured one seat.

After the BJP's victory, Baraiya's video about his pledge went viral on social media.

On Tuesday, when he was asked about his vow, Baraiya said let alone blackening his face, he was even ready to colour it red with blood to save the Constitution, country and democracy.

He then announced that he would blacken his face himself at 2 pm in front of the Raj Bhavan on December 7. Baraiya represents Bhander seat in Datia district.

On Thursday, Baraiya and his supporters took out a protest rally against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) from Roshanpura Square in the city.

Later, Digvijaya Singh also joined the march and applied a symbolic black tika on Baraiya's forehead and face.

Talking to reporters, Singh said, “Baraiya is a man of commitment, but I stopped him (from blackening his own face) as his prediction proved to be right because in the counting of postal ballots, they (BJP) got less than 50 seats.”

“Therefore, there is no need for him to blacken his face. Instead, BJP should blacken its own face for the way it has murdered democracy,” Singh said.

The former chief minister was apparently referring to the Congress' allegation of the BJP tampering with the EVMs to win the elections.

Both Baraiya and Singh also blackened the placard of an EVM on the occasion.

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