Kawasi Lakhma, a Congress MLA and Chhattisgarh’s Minister for Excise, Commerce and Industries, has received the wrath of the Election Commission (EC) after he threatened the voters to vote for Congress or receive electric shocks. He was speaking at the election campaign of the Congress candidate from Kanker, Biresh Thakur.
Lakhma said, “Aapko pehla number button dabana hai. Dusre number ka button dabaoge toh current lagega..,usmain current hai. Teesre number button main bhi current hai (You have to press the first button in the EVM. If you press the second button, you will get an electric shock there is current in it. You will get an electric shock even if you press the third button).” Lakhma urged the public to press the first button on the EVM to vote for his party candidate Biresh Thakur.
The EC has sent a notice to Lakhma seeking an explanation for his bizarre statement, after the BJP state president Vikram Usendi lodged a complaint saying that such threatening remarks, to intimidate the citizens, just a day before the second phase of the general elections, violates the Model Code of Conduct.
Such threats by politicians, across party lines, are not the first of their kind this election season. Earlier, BJP MLA Ramesh Katara from Fatehpura, in a rally at Dahod, had threatened the public to vote for BJP if they want jobs. Similarly, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, in a rally at her constituency in Sultanpur had urged the Muslims to vote for her if they expect her to give them jobs later. At another rally in her son Varun Gandhi’s constituency Pilibhit, she said that villages would be graded for the development work depending on the votes BJP receives. Taking note of such communal remarks, the EC banned Maneka Gandhi from campaigning for 48 hours. Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao, threatened to curse people if they do not vote for him in the upcoming elections.
As the election phases come closer, politicians are canvassing for votes in every way possible.
Three Lok Sabha seats – Rajnandgaon, Kanker and Mahasamund, – in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on April 18. The third and final phase of polling in the state is scheduled for April 23.