The Trinamool Congress alleged on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) was distributing “cash coupons” to lure people for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies.
Party MP Sukendu Sekhar Roy, at a press conference at the party headquarters, said such coupons were distributed before the Prime Minister’s public meeting at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas earlier this month.
“It is shocking that the BJP is luring people using such coupons and the Election Commission is silent. They are asking people to attend PM Modi’s rally in exchange for such coupons,” Mr Roy said.
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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also raised the issue at a rally in Cooch Behar. “We came to know that BJP leaders are distributing ₹1,000 coupons to lure voters. They are telling the voters that they will get ₹1,000 if they vote for the BJP,” the Chief Minister said.
The TMC leaders also shared photographs of the coupons on social media. Other leaders of the TMC like MP Mahua Moitra and Sashi Panja also raised the issue on social media.
The BJP dismissed the allegations and said the TMC should approach the Election Commission, instead of making these “wild allegations” before the media.
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BJP’s complaint
During the day , a BJP delegation led by party leader Sisir Adhikari lodged a complaint at the office of Chief Election Commissioner that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was inciting people against the Central forces.
Addressing a public meeting at Cooch Behar, Ms. Banerjee had said women should gherao the Central forces if they prevented people from casting votes. “If the CRPF tries to create any problem, one group of women should gherao them and another should go and cast their votes,” she had said.