By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: A Congress delegation on Friday submitted a memorandum to Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Jha, alleging that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states were openly violating the Model Code of Conduct by using government welfare schemes to buy votes.
The delegation comprised former minister P.C. Sharma, Bhopal City Congress president Praveen Saxena, senior leaders J.P. Dhanopia and Shabista Zaki, State spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta, Abhinav Barolia, councillor Guddu Chauhan, voter list revision in-charge Lalit Sen, and members Ramesh Pandey and Nikesh Chauhan.
According to the memorandum, during the Bihar elections, nearly Rs 130 crore was transferred to the bank accounts of women belonging to self-help groups under the “Jeewika Didi” initiative, along with payments to married women aged between 18 and 60 under the scheme titled “Izzat Dhan”. Each beneficiary reportedly received Rs 10,000 while the Model Code of Conduct was in force an act the Congress claims was intended to influence the electoral outcome. Similar practices, the delegation alleged, were taking place in Maharashtra and other BJP ruled states, amounting to a blatant challenge to the Election Commission of India.
The delegation further argued that while earlier governments and political parties were barred from making new announcements six months prior to elections, the restriction has now been reduced to three months, a provision they claim BJP governments are exploiting. They cited the “Ladli Behna Yojana” launched in Madhya Pradesh before the 2023 elections as an example of attempts to sway voters through monthly cash transfers.
The Congress urged the Election Commission to immediately instruct the Centre and all state governments to halt any new cash transfer or welfare announcements during election periods. They also demanded independent investigations into ongoing schemes in states facing imminent elections, strict action against officials found guilty of misusing public funds, close monitoring of all financial inducements, and accountability mechanisms to ensure BLOs carry out voter list revisions transparently.
