The Congress on Tuesday accused Madhya Pradesh minister Govind Singh Rajput of bribing voters and workers ahead of the state's assembly elections, and requested that he be fired and prevented from running again, news agency PTI reported. Congress leader Shobha Oza also stated that Rajput was arrested for violating the model code after a complaint was lodged against him by a Congress worker. At a news conference, Oza showed a video apparently showing Rajput, an MLA from the Surkhi assembly seat, promising party members that he would reward Rs 25 lakh to booth in-charges who received the most votes for the BJP.
She said that the Model Code of Conduct is in existence in Madhya Pradesh, and that BJP leaders who know they will lose the polls are constantly engaged in malpractice and attempting to influence voters.
Oza also posted a video of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya allegedly claiming he will give Rs 51,000 to booth in-charges in booths where no votes for the Congress were cast.
Rajput, she claimed, was connected to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Oza claimed Scindia talks about getting to the streets and fighting for the people, but those close to him are corrupt and talk about "buying votes."
The Congress leader stated that party worker Sandeep Singh Baghel filed a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner and the State Election Commission, and thanked the poll body for filing a FIR against Govind Singh Rajput under sections 123 and 178 of the Indian Penal Code.
Shobha Oza is a former All India Mahila Congress president.
"We demand that strict action be taken against ministers and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party who have been involved in corrupt activities... like Kailash Vijayvargia and Govind Singh Rajput. We appeal to the governor to immediately dismiss Govind Singh Rajput...," Oza was quoted by PTI in its report.
"We demand that they (such BJP candidates) be banned from contesting elections and their assets investigated to ascertain how they have collected so much money. We also demand answers from BJP president J P Nadda and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as to why they are trying to win elections in Madhya Pradesh through such corrupt practices," the Congress leader said.
When asked why no complaint had been filed against Vijayvargiya, she stated that the BJP politician reportedly made the offer prior to the implementation of the model code. Oza, on the other hand, stated that if he did it again, her party would file a complaint.
"The BJP knows that its roots have been uprooted because of corruption in Madhya Pradesh in the last 18 years and the public will uproot such people this time," the Congress leader claimed.