Finding itself cornered on the school bags issue, the Congress’s Chhattisgarh unit today said it was a novel scheme in the country. The party also asked Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) J.M.Lyngdoh to understand the spirit behind the scheme.‘‘The government wants every poor child to get the best education and draw inspiration from Ajit Jogi — whose picture is embossed on these bags. If BJP has an objection to Jogi’s picture, we will remove them. But can’t poor Adivasis draw inspiration and aspire to rise to the rank of Lyngdoh — also a tribal,’’ PCC spokesman Rajender Tiwari claims to have told the CEC.‘‘BJP is not serious to contest the polls against Congress. So it (BJP) was bent upon creating conditions, which are not congenial to the conduct of free and fair elections,’’ he alleged. The BJP team which met Lyngdoh reiterated charges of misuse of bureaucratic machinery, beside serious violations of the code of conduct. Brij Mohan Aggarwal, who led the BJP delegation, submitted a nine-page memorandum and submitted evidence of the code violations.Not to be left behind, the NCP paraded before Lyngdoh its candidate from Jashpur district, who was allegedly lured by the Congress. On the Electronic Voting Machine, the BSP claimed officials told voters that pressing a ‘‘wrong button’’ — where other symbols were — would give them a shock. Lyngdoh, however, refused to meet a group who claimed to have been deprived of funds for their ailing children’s treatment. They claimed this was due to the model code of conduct coming into force. The CEC advised the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to prepare a formal case and forward it to the Commission.
