In a sensational claim, the Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that the Amethi district administration late Monday night asked the family of Kumar Vishwas, the party’s candidate from the constituency, to leave the district or else they will be arrested.
According to reports, district police officials late Monday reached the rented accommodation of the AAP leader and cited Election Commission rules to ask Kumar Vishwas’s wife, children and other family members to leave Amethi by 11 pm, after the time of campaigning ended, as they were not “registered voters” in the constituency.
An official told a news agency that this was in line with norms which mandates all non-registered voters, campaigners and supporters of a candidate to leave the constituency after the campaigning has come to an end and ahead of balloting.
Voicing his dissent, Kumar Vishwas on Tuesday said he challenged the district police officials to tell Congress campaigner Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the same if the Uttar Pradesh government has the courage.
Alleging that the administration of Amethi is working towards making Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi win, whose boat is sinking, Kumar Vishwas accused the police of picking up his party workers.
The Congress workers are openly distributing cash and envelopes, and no action is being taken, added the poet-turned-politician.
On Monday night, Vishwas tweeted that police had threatened to evict his wife, sister and others from their house mid-night. He also dared the authorities to do something similar to Priyanka Vadra and her supporters.
District admin & police asks my wife and sisters to leave Amethi immediately at 11pm. Can they dare to ask the same to Priyanka G & congis?
Senior Election Commission (EC) officials were apprised of the matter late Monday night after which Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umesh Sinha is said to have taken a “view on the matter”.
Poll panel sources said the district administration was within its rights to take such action but have been asked to be polite, “keeping sensitivities in mind”.
Amethi is witnessing a triangular battle between Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, BJP’s television actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani and AAP’s Kumar Vishwas.
While Vishwaas has been camping in the high-profile constituency for the last four months, Smriti Irani is also giving sleepless nights to her political opponents by travelling in the countryside.
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi while addressing an election meeting in Gauriganj Monday had called Irani her younger sister.
Worried at a surging opposition, Sonia Gandhi recently addressed her first election rally in Amethi after a gap of 10 years.
Amethi goes to polls on May 07.
