SP alleges rigging by Cong; Priyanka influencing voters

Lucknow, May 8: The Samajwadi Party today alleged Congress president Sonia Gandhi's daughter and polling agent Priyanka Vadra was influencing voters even as Congressmen accompanying her were indulging in rigging in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha byelection.

Beni Prasad Verma, SP leader and father-in-law of the party candidate in the constituency Rajkumar Chaudhury, told reporters that Ms Vadra was moving in a motorcade of 12 vehicles to influence voters. ''The 80 men travelling with her in the carcade are rigging booths.'' SP MLC and state unit president Ram Sharan Das has faxed a written complaint to the Election Commission in this regard.

Mr Verma alleged that presiding officer at booth number 78 at Mainupuri was casting fake votes in favour of Ms Gandhi alongwith other members of his staff.

''At booth number 38 (Pakhrauli), the button indicating Samajwadi Party symbol on the electronic voting machine was not working...the buttons indicating other parties/candidate were functioning. The defect in the machine has so far not been rectified,'' the SP said in its complaint addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon.

The SP also lashed out at Rae Bareli SP and district magistrate/returning officer for not carrying out their duties in an impartial manner. ''They are IPS and IAS officers...they can be influenced by the Department of Personnel in the Union government.'' ''As a party, we warn them of stern action if they fail to fulfill their duties,'' Verma said. To a query, he clarified that while the state government could take action against them, the SP could hold dharna and demonstration against them.

The former Union Minister said that senior officers from the union government were either camping in Rae Bareli or nearby districts to influence the election in favour of Ms Gandhi.

UNI

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