MP elections: Case filed against minister for violation of poll code

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Madhya Pradesh minister Govind Singh Rajput has been booked for "violation of Model Code of Conduct" in force in the state for the upcoming Assembly elections. This came after Congress alleged that he "openly and blatantly offered to pay Rs 25 lakh" to the booth where most votes are cast in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

The FIR stated that the action was taken following a report of the Returning Officer of the Surkhi Assembly constituency. Rajput is contesting elections from Sagar's Surkhi seat.

The case was registered against the minister in Rahatgarh police station in Sagar district under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 188 and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, reported news agency ANI.

MP minister's cash-for-votes offer

A purported video of the minister went viral in which he is seen announcing to give Rs 25 lakh to the polling booth which gets the most votes for BJP in the upcoming elections.

At a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Shobha Oza also played the video and said that the Model Code of Conduct is in place in Madhya Pradesh and leaders of the BJP who know they are going to lose the elections are continuously engaging in malpractice and trying to influence voters.

Oza also shared a video of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya purportedly saying he would pay Rs 51,000 to in-charges of booths where no votes are polled for the Congress.

She said Rajput was close to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Oza alleged that Scindia talks about taking to the streets and fighting for the people but those close to him were involved in corruption and talking of "buying votes".

The Congress leader said party worker Sandeep Singh Baghel lodged a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner and the State Election Commission and thanked the poll body for registering an FIR against Govind Singh Rajput.

"We demand that strict action be taken against ministers and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party who have been involved in corrupt activities… like Kailash Vijayvargiya and Govind Singh Rajput. We appeal to the governor to immediately dismiss Govind Singh Rajput…," Oza said.

"We demand that they [such BJP candidates] be banned from contesting elections and their assets investigated to ascertain how they have collected so much money. We also demand answers from BJP president JP Nadda and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as to why they are trying to win elections in Madhya Pradesh through such corrupt practices," the Congress leader said.