New Delhi: Candidates invent ingenious methods to mobilise support, and bribing party workers is the precursor to allurements directly offered to the voters.

A senior BJP minister in Madhya Pradesh got into trouble for enticing his workers with cash incentives as the Election Commission ordered an FIR against him on a complaint filed by the Congress. The Congress, however, is not satisfied and has asked the commission to debar such candidates from contesting the election.

An FIR was registered against Govind Singh Rajput, revenue and transport minister in the Shivraj Singh government, as he was found telling party workers that he would give Rs 25 lakh to the booth in-charge where he got maximum votes. The FIR was registered in Rahatgarh police station of Sagar district for violation of the model code of conduct after verifying the authenticity of the video in which a person resembling the minister is seen making the promise.

Alleging that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh was founded on the corrupt practice of purchasing MLAs, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza said: “Govind Singh Rajput is one of the MLAs who defected to the BJP along with Jyotiraditya Scindia. These MLAs took Rs 35 crore each as bribe. They have a history of corruption and are now using the same money to win election again. We want to ask the minister where from he amassed such money to distribute Rs 25 lakh to booth workers?”

She recalled how another senior BJP leader who is contesting himself this time, Kailash Vijayvargiya, had made a similar promise a few days ago but he escaped punishment because the model code of conduct was not in force at that time.

A video circulating on social media showed a person resembling Vijayvargiya promising Rs 51,000 to the booth in-charges where the Congress won’t get a single
vote. The use of money to mobilise voters is a corrupt practice.

Oza said: “The BJP leaders, even ministers, are indulging in corrupt practices from the very outset. They want to win elections using money power. We request the governor to sack minister Rajput right away. The Election Commission should debar such candidates from contesting elections. Vijayvargiya escaped the clutches of law this time but he is a habitual offender. We are keeping a strict vigil on his activities.”

Vijayvargiya is known for organising feasts (Bhandara) round the year in Indore and even for giving gifts to people on festivals. One of the Congress candidates in Indore, Sanjay Shukla, followed the same technique and started distributing gifts to the people during festivals, apart from organising feasts regularly. Even bribing booth workers is not a new phenomenon.

In the last Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh in 2018, this correspondent was shown WhatsApp messages circulating internally within a closed group of political workers, which promised ward councillors motorcycles and cars if they managed to win their areas for the BJP candidate. It suggested that any corporator taking up the challenge to win eight wards can buy a car right now; if the results prove they won, the monthly instalments will be paid by the candidate. If not, they pay their own EMIs.

The Indore district administration had given out a WhatsApp number in local newspapers, asking voters to lodge complaints about gifts, free food, money and such schemes. The commission said the identity of complainants will be kept a secret and cash rewards will be given to them. Several notices had also been issued to candidates so far for surrogate advertising/campaigning, using birthdays and religious events to oblige voters. The same practice
continues after five years, with refined techniques and creativity.