Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar
New Delhi: The Congress has claimed that most of the people who had thronged the streets of Varanasi during Narendra Modi`s roadshow on Thursday were outsiders, who were brought to the temple city on rent.
Terming Narendra Modi`s nomination process as being akin to an `award function`, the Congress claimed that 75 percent people who formed the crowd came from outside. The party also alleged that around 1 lakh people were wearing the same T-shirt, suggestive of the fact that the whole show was orchestrated.
The party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Modi for filing his nomination papers on polling day and holding a roadshow to influence voters.
“The Congress has complained to the Election Commission that in the 117 constituencies in which voting is being held today (Thursday), Narendra Modi`s roadshow was telecast live on all TV channels. This violated the model code of conduct and influenced voters,” Anand Sharma, the senior Congress leader, had said.
“The date of filing of nomination was selected in a pre-planned manner. We demand an FIR in this case against all those who were involved in the roadshow,” he added.
Narendra Modi had held a massive roadshow yesterday ahead of filing his nomination as the BJP candidate from Varanasi.
Chanting "Modi, Modi, Modi, Modi", tens of thousands of supporters walked with Modi`s convoy as it made its way to the DM`s office.
"After coming here, I felt nobody has sent me nor have I come here. I am here because Maa Ganga has called me. I feel like a small child on mother`s lap. I pray to God to give me the strength so that I can serve this city," Modi said.
"The Modi wave just became a tsunami. The Modi wave will wash away the Congress, SP and the BSP from Uttar Pradesh," Amit Shah said.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the Congress party appears to have lost its balance by registering a complaint with the EC against Narendra Modi.
Javadekar said: "The Congress has lost its balance, if Anand Sharma (Commerce Minister and Congress party leader) expects the Election Commission to take action on filing of a nomination, and says that this is a violation of code of conduct. I fail to understand that how can the filing of a nomination by someone on the day designated by the Election Commission be seen as a violation of the code of conduct."
The world`s biggest election in India, which passed the halfway mark last week, entered its second-biggest day of staggered polls, in which Modi is widely seen as the front runner to be country`s next prime minister. In the sixth phase of election, voters of 117 constituencies in nation`s 11 states and one Union Territory cast their ballots.
Opinion polls have predicted a simple majority for the Modi-led BJP alliance which is riding a wave of public anger across India against the ruling Congress party over a slew of corruption scandals and a slowing economy.
Voting in the world`s largest democracy, where about 815 million people are expected to cast their votes, is phased over several weeks which concludes on May 12. Results are due to be announced on May 16.
