Congress alleges BJP of threatening independent contestants to withdraw from Antagarh by-poll

By M Rajasekhar

NEW DELHI: The Chhattisgarh unit of Congress has alleged that BJP coerced all 6 independent contestants to withdraw from the Antagarh by-poll, two days after its candidate Manturam Pawar withdrew from the race.

In a petition to the EC, Congress Chhattisgarh secretary Pankaj Mahawar claimed that state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel went to Kanker to find an independent candidate whom the party could support after Pawar’s withdrawal but were told that all six candidates were keen to meet him.

Baghel told ET: “In the conversation that followed, they told me that the state police was pressuring them to withdraw, saying they will be slapped with ‘Naxal cases’ otherwise. I told them it would be better to meet in another district and so they went to the house of Pankaj Mahawar.

I went for my meeting at Kanker, planning to meet the candidates later in the night.” Baghel said that there was a strong police cordon around his hotel that night and so he could not get out.

Mahawar in his affidavit to EC said that at about 3 am, “a team of about 25/30 policemen carrying fire arms and weapons reached my home along with some BJP workers… after bit of scuffle and argument, the police team forcibly took all 6 candidates along with them.”

The next noon, “all these six candidates… came to the collector’s office along with large number of BJP workers and withdrew their nomination.” The affidavit alleged that BJP, “used money, muscle, administrative policy and also police might to ensure all the withdrawals.” Chief Electoral Officer for Chhattisgarh Nidhi Chauhan confirmed that the independent candidates had withdrawn their nominations. However, she added, “all the withdrawals are as per the process.