BHOPAL: Fearing misuse of government machinery by the ruling BJP in the coming assembly by-elections to Mungawali and Kolaras constituencies of Madhya Pradesh, the opposition Congress submitted a memorandum to the joint chief election officer (CEO) S Bansal in Bhopal on Tuesday.
A state Congress delegation led by state Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia submitted the memorandum, particularly demanding action against national BJP vice-president Prabhat Jha, who they alleged had on Monday held a meeting with government teachers at a private building in Mungawali assembly constituency of Ashok Nagar district of MP.
The delegation alleged in the memorandum that as shown in the video which has gone viral over social media and reports in local media of Ashok Nagar district, the teachers were forcibly gathered at the private building in Mungawali on Monday, where they were pressurized by Jha and other BJP leaders to campaign for the ruling party in different parts of the assembly constituency.
“This clearly establishes that the BJP leaders are misusing government machinery for the upcoming by-polls in Kolaras and Mungawali constituencies. We’ve demanded that a case be registered against the BJP national vice president Prabhat Jha and other office bearers of the ruling party for forcing the government teachers to make a ground for the BJP among people in the by-poll,” said state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi, who was part of the delegation.
“We’ll submit a complaint to the local police in Ashok Nagar district on Wednesday for lodging a case in the matter against the BJP leaders, including Jha,” Chaturvedi told The New Indian Express.
By-elections to two assembly seats, Kolaras and Mungawali have been necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress legislators in 2017. Though, the Election Commission is yet to announce the dates for the by-poll, the key by-polls are likely to be held next month.
Both the by-elections are being seen as a precursor to the 2018 assembly polls likely in November.