Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP says appeal to press NOTA is attack on democracy; its Indore councillor removes poster

Indore: The BJP in Madhya Pradesh has hit out at the Congress for appealing to voters to exercise NOTA option and said it is an attack on democracy, while a councillor of the saffron party here removed a poster stuck on an autorickshaw advocating the same.

Councillor Sandhya Yadav's act on Wednesday prompted the Congress to approach the Election Commission (EC) and lodge a complaint against her.

State BJP chief V D Sharma said instigating people to press `None Of The Above' (NOTA) button on the EVM was a crime in democracy.

The opposition Congress received a jolt after its Lok Sabha poll candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date of the withdrawal of nominations.

Bam later joined the BJP, prompting the Congress to appeal to the people to press NOTA during polling in Indore on May 13 to 'teach the saffron party a lesson'.

The Congress lodged a complaint with the EC after a video surfaced on social media showing Sandhya Yadav removing a poster of an organisation named `Loktantra Bachao Samiti' asking people to support NOTA.

Asserting she will continue to do so, the BJP councillor told PTI that she fulfilled her 'duty of being a conscientious citizen' and removed the poster promoting NOTA from an autorickshaw.

Promoting this voting option is not in the interest of democracy, she said.

State Congress general secretary Rakesh Singh Yadav claimed angry voters were running the NOTA campaign.

He alleged that Sandhya Yadav threatened the autorickshaw driver and forcibly removed the poster. She was accompanied by goons, he claimed.

The Congress functionary said he has filed a complaint with the EC by submitting a video of the incident.

Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Sharma, on the other hand, claimed encouraging the NOTA option is 'an attack on democracy.'

"In democracy, instigating people to press the NOTA button is a crime. The Congress leadership wants to weaken democracy," he further said.

In a swipe at state Congress chief Jitu Patwari, Sharma said, "Your candidate voluntarily withdraws his nomination at the last moment. The public is not stupid. You are on the wrong side, and asking the public to vote for NOTA. This will not do."

Asked about Bam's induction in the BJP, Sharma said, "We have purifiers and X-ray machines installed here. Nothing to worry about.''