BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah during the party's protest against Election Commission in Varanasi on Thursday
AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal's family, senior BJP leaders
Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah as well as others involved in campaigning but not having voting rights in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh will have to leave the constituency after canvassing ends tomorrow evening in accordance with rules.
Kumar Vishwas, the Aam Aadmi Party's candidate from Amethi in the state, had protested after his family members were asked to leave the constituency ahead of polling on May 7, accusing the administration of being biased and favouring his Congress rival and sitting MP
Rahul Gandhi.
(Read more...)Denying any partisan approach, Varanasi's Additional District Magistrate (City) MP Singh said the administration will carry out the exercise to evict those engaged in campaigning activities if they are not voters in the constituency irrespective of their party or candidate affiliation.
"We will not allow anybody involved in campaign and not having a voter I-card to stay in the city after campaigning ends tomorrow. Be it Kejriwal's family or BJP leaders like Amit Shah, everybody will have to comply with our orders," Mr Singh told PTI.
The high-octane campaign for the May 12 election will come to an end tomorrow at 5 PM.
(India Votes 2014: full coverage)
Besides Mr Kejriwal and BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi, Congress' Ajay Rai, a Varanasi local and MLA from the nearby Pindara constituency, is the major candidate.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will address a roadshow in Varanasi tomorrow, seen as retaliation to Mr Modi's rally in Amethi on the last day of campaigning where the latter had launched a stinging attack on the Congress leadership.
(Rahul Can Try Road-Show or Air-Show But Varanasi is Modi's, Says BJP)Mr Singh said the district administration in Varanasi has made all possible efforts to ensure a free and fair election. Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across the city as part of the security drill.
When asked about the BJP's allegation of adopting a partisan approach towards it following denial of permission to hold a rally by Mr Modi in Beniabagh in the heart of the city yesterday, the senior official refused to comment, saying they were just performing their duty.
BJP had demanded that the Election Commission immediately remove Returning Officer Pranjal Yadav but the Commission had rejected it.
(The Man Who Has Rattled Narendra Modi's BJP) Mr Modi had yesterday carried out an informal roadshow in which thousands of his supporters participated.