BJP agents using pens with party symbols, threatening voters at polling booths: Gujarat Congress to Election Commission

In its letter to the EC, the Congress party said, “It is to draw attention to the violation of utilising materials and pens, having the symbol of the BJP political party, by the polling agents and officers working in the polling booth in the entire state of Gujarat, where the election is in process on May 7, 2024. The pens have a picture/symbol of the BJP and the same is being used within the polling booths…”

The complaint also stated, “Every polling booth is decorated with flags and torans with the symbol of the BJP. It is a clear-cut violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Above mentioned corrupt practice adopted by the BJP to influence the election process.”

After the Congress party raised the issue of the presence of stationery items bearing the election symbol of the BJP in polling stations, President Shaktisinh Gohil also took to X and Instagram to post videos of the Sector-19 polling station in Gandhinagar, where he had gone to cast his vote. In the video, Gohil is seen questioning the presiding officer for turning a blind eye to the issue and also accused the ECI of not acting on the Congress complaint in the matter.

At the polling station, Gohil also allegedly found a BJP worker using a pen containing the symbol of the BJP.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Gohil said, “I had gone to cast my vote at the Sector 19 polling station in Gandhinagar, where the polling agents were using pens with the BJP symbol. This was at around 11.30 am. The matter had come to our notice at around 8 am when our workers from the ground sent us reports. We had immediately drawn the attention of the ECI in the matter but no action was taken…”

The Congress also filed separate complaints regarding alleged “threats” being issued to voters and voters being “stalled” from voting. In a second complaint, the GPCC stated that “anti-socials have prevented minority voters from polling in the Polling Stations of Bhata School of 42-Vejalpur Assembly Constituency in Gandhinagar Parliamentary constituency” and of threats being issued to voters of Rotary Nagar in Morbi in Kutch Lok Sabha constituency.

In the complaint, the Congress party said, “A BJP worker named Ravi Govind has been threatening the voters stating that if they do not vote for the BJP, they will not be allowed to cast their vote or step into the polling station… He has been trying to stall the polling process in the area…”

શું ચૂંટણી અધિકારીઓ ને આ બધું નથી દેખાતું? ચૂંટણી અધિકારીઓ ને ભાજપ નો ડર લાગે છે? ઇલેક્શન કમિશન નિષ્પક્ષ ચૂંટણી કરવામાં સતત નિષ્ફળ નીવડી રહી છે! @shaktisinhgohil pic.twitter.com/kwZLi5iLEF

— Gujarat Congress (@INCGujarat) May 7, 2024

Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Banaskantha Geni Thakor also took to X, posting a video in which she allegedly “caught a man”, who was going around polling stations in her constituency threatening voters.

In another complaint, Geniben Thakor, the Congress candidate from Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat, appealed to the Election Commission to file an FIR against alleged coercion of voters in Danta taluka. “At Danta taluka’s Dhareda Vashi and Siawada villages, youths of Chaudhary community of other districts are threatening voters by putting fake police plates on their cars and forcing them to vote for BJP, please take action against them,” Geniben stated on X in a video holding the CRPF plate in her hands.

Geniben is facing the BJP’s Rekhaben Chaudhary in the Banaskantha Lok Sabha constituency, the one seat with two women candidates are contesting.

When contacted, P Bharathi, Chief Election Officer, Gujarat, said the complaints have been considered and appropriate action has been ordered. Bharathi told The Indian Express, “We had instructed all district collectors to ensure immediately that no one carries merchandise or stationery items with symbols of political parties. I have asked them to tell polling agents also to leave such pens outside the polling stations… I have also instructed the local Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of Police to look into the complaints of threats in the respective constituencies from where the complaints have been received.”