Roadshows and offering prayers have become a fashion during elections: Mayawati

Mayawati said the EC should also pass an order stopping media from showing the candidates while they visit public places or offer prayers when the Model Code of Conduct is in place.

In an indirect attack on the BJP and Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati on Tuesday said that roadshows and visiting temples and other religious places have become a fashion during elections, adding that parties spent a lot of money on these things. The BSP chief demanded that the Election Commission (EC) should also add this expense to total expenditure limit of the candidate. 

"Roadshows and offering prayers has become a fashion during elections, where a lot of money is spent. Election Commission should add this expense to the candidate's total expenditure limit," Mayawati said at a press conference.

The BSP chief also said that the EC should also pass an order stopping media from showing the candidates while they visit public places or offer prayers when the Model Code of Conduct is in place.  "During a ban on a candidate for violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC), if they go to a public place or offer prayers at a temple & it is shown in media, it should be stopped. Election Commission should take action on it," she said.

Mayawati also launched a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that PM Modi is set to lose this election and now even RSS is not supporting the BJP candidates. She added that the RSS workers are not campaigning for the BJP candidates because they know that the Modi government has failed to fulfil the promises it had made in 2014. "PM Modi's government is losing this election, it appears that even RSS has stopped supporting them. In view of unfulfilled election promises & the public agitation, their swayamsevaks are not being seen putting in the work, it has made Shri Modi nervous," remarked Mayawati.