Aam Aadmi Party senior leader Yogendra Yadav, who is contesting Lok Sabha election from Gurgaon, has accused the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party of large-scale rigging in Muslim-dominated Mewat and Rewari with instances of booth-capturing, intimidation of electorate and other irregularities in at least 68 booths.
Addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference on Thursday evening, Mr. Yadav, flanked by another party leader and eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan, alleged that cash was distributed by the INLD workers in some villages in Mewat a night before the polling and they resorted to massive rigging and booth capturing in at least 50 booths in the district. Mr. Yadav added that while INLD resorted to rigging mostly in Mewat, the BJP threatened AAP volunteers at several booths in Rewari. Mr. Yadav said that he himself was threatened of meeting the same fate as Arvind Kejriwal had two days ago when he went to a booth in Gokalgarh in Rewari following complaints of irregularities. “There could be more instances of rigging and irregularities as more information is pouring in. We are going to submit a list of 68 booths to the Election Commission and seek immediate action,” said Mr. Yadav, adding that he had full faith in the institution which had “an outstanding record of free and fair elections”.
Mr. Yadav also played an audio clip featuring a purported talk between an AAP volunteer and a Booth-Level Officer with the latter telling the former that “might was right in Mewat”.
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Mr. Bhushan said polling booth no. 43 in Nuh had recorded 95 per cent polling by 5-30 p.m. which was unusual. Referring to full page ads of Modi in some newspapers on the polling day, Mr. Bhushan said money and muscle power was in full display and Rs.70 lakh expenditure limit for Lok Sabha elections was being openly flouted.