BJP alleges malpractices by AAP, seeks EC action

With the Ludhiana West byelection just a day away, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) levelled serious allegations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that they were desperate to win the seat to secure a Rajya Sabha spot for their party supremo Arvind Kejriwal.

Advertisement

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Anil Sarin, BJP’s state general secretary, emphasised that the Election Commission was responsible for ensuring a free and fair election and no party or candidate should be allowed to entice or intimidate voters. He expressed dismay at the state government’s alleged attempts to lure voters, claiming that the ruling party was sensing an impending defeat. According to Sarin, this desperation has led to a widespread distribution of ration, school bags, stationery, suits, sarees, electronics, liquor and cash among voters.

Questioning the need for such tactics, Sarin challenged the government’s previous claims of hard work over the past three-and-a-half years. Taking a jab at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he remarked that Mann, aware of the likely defeat, had already “left the ground”.

Furthermore, the BJP leader highlighted numerous instances where anti-social elements had allegedly been inducted into the ruling party and undesirable individuals provided with police protection. He questioned motives behind such actions, stressing that while the administration was accountable for fair election, it appears officials were also being threatened and forced into illegal activities. Sarin asserted that AAP was conducting such activities on a large scale and called upon the administration to intervene. He also advised police personnel to perform their duties judiciously, focusing on controlling illegal activities rather than acting as agents of AAP.

The BJP leader urged the EC to take strict action against the reported illegalities and the party employing such tactics. He confirmed that the BJP had already brought these issues to the attention of the EC and remains hopeful that action would be taken against those found culpable.

Rajnish Dhiman, Dr Kamaljit Soi, Pritpal Singh Baliyewal, Narinder Malhi and Dr Satish Kumar were among those others present.