Ahmedabad:
A police case has been filed in Gujarat against
Narendra Modi, the chief minister, and television channels who covered him as he emerged after voting in Ahmedabad.
"If someone is threatened with a knife an FIR (First Information Report) is lodged, all I did was show everyone a lotus," Mr Modi said this evening, reacting to the case against him. (
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Mr Modi, after casting his vote this morning, walked out of the Ranip polling station in Ahmedabad showing his inked finger to the crowd which had gathered around the polling booth. Later, when he interacted with the waiting media, he brandished his inked finger along with party's lotus symbol. For the entire press interaction, Mr Modi kept on displaying the party's symbol. The powerful Election Commission says Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has broken the law by campaigning in a polling area.
"I can say that this time nothing can save the mother-son government...a strong government will come to power," Mr Modi said to the crowd at the polling station, promising the defeat of the incumbent Congress which is led by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. (
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"It is evident from Modi's tone and tenor that he made a political speech. He intended, calculated to influence voting today," the Election Commission said.
The BJP, however, contends that the speech was not an organised press conference. "We respect the Election Commission but Mr Modi did not violate the code of conduct," said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.
The Crime Branch has been tasked to determine if that is correct.
Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed accused Mr Modi of being "a serial offender." His party had earlier objected to the release of the BJP manifesto on April 7, when voting in the nine-phase general election began. (
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Read: Congress complains to Election Commission over Narendra Modi flashing party symbol)
89 parliamentary constituencies voted today. Among them was Vadodara, one of the two constituencies that Mr Modi is running from. The other is Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, which votes on the final day of the election on May 12.
Under Mr Modi, the BJP is expected to get the most parliamentary seats, though forecasts differ on whether the party will get a majority.