Zee Media Bureau
Varanasi: An FIR was filed against Congress candidate Ajay Rai on the directions of Election Commission (EC) after he was seen wearing party symbol while casting vote for the Lok Sabha polls in Ramnagar.
The FIR has been registered in Varanasi`s Sigra police station after Rai was seen displaying the symbol pinned on his kurta.
Reacting to the controversy, Rai said that if he gets a notice from EC, then he will reply to it.
“I did not flash the symbol intentionally. I was wearing clothes which I wore a day before and the symbol was attached on it,” he said.
The poll panel had earlier asked for CCTV footage of the polling booth after Bharatiya Janata Party`s (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) complained against the Congress leader.
“Flashing of party symbol is a violation of election rules. A report in the matter will be sent to the EC,” said Special Election Observer, Praven Kumar.
Kumar also said that flashing of election symbol at the booth is violation of Section 130 of the Representation of Peoples Act and a report will be sent after inquiry into this matter to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Voting was underway in Varanasi amid tight security as people came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the one of the most high-profile contests featuring two of the most talked about politicians - BJP`s Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Polling began at 7 am and Anant Narayan Singh, the present king of Kashi (old name of Varanasi) and Congress candidate Ajay Rai were among the first to vote at a booth in Ramnagar.
Around 16 lakh people are eligible to cast vote.
Rai came to vote wearing a badge of his election symbol `hand` on his kurta.
When asked whether it could amount to violation of Election Code of Conduct just as in the case of Modi in Gandhinagar, Rai said he has the right to wear the symbol as a candidate and "the hand symbol was in his heart".
He also that Modi was showing lotus symbol while he is only wearing it.
(With Agencies Inputs)
