Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party has accused the BSP of threatening and offering money to party nominee from Lucknow, Nafisa Ali, to withdraw her candidature and said it will take up the issue with the Election Commission.
"BSP's Lucknow candidate Akhilesh Das Gupta's men are threatening Ali that if she does not withdraw from the poll fray, she will be implicated in false cases," SP General Secretary Amar Singh alleged.
"Goons of BSP candidate Gupta are frequenting the SP candidate's house and are issuing threats to her. They are offering Ali to take money and withdraw her candidature. The party will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard," he told reporters in Lucknow.
They also gave Ali the contact number of a close aide of Gupta and asked her to contact him, Singh alleged. "She was asked to take money and leave the SP to join BSP ranks."
Singh also alleged that the BSP was indulging in "gross misuse of money power" during the poll campaign.
"Air-conditioned pandals are being erected for the election rallies of BSP supremo Mayawati on which lakhs of rupees are being wasted. These temporary pandals are being arranged by the officers for merely half-an-hour meetings.
"Unfortunately all this is being done and the EC observers cannot see it," he said.