Digvijaya Singh Wants Polls Via Ballot Paper As He Fears Defeat, Claims BJP Leader

"Due to fear of massive defeat" in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is proposing a way to conduct voting through ballots, Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief VD Sharma said on Monday.

Mr Sharma made the remark while talking to reporters in the state capital Bhopal on Monday, after Mr Singh, who is contesting from the Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat, on Sunday proposed a way of conducting elections through ballot paper in his constituency.

"Due to fear of massive defeat and seizure of security deposit, Digvijaya Singh is saying that people do not want to vote through EVM but through ballot paper. Are you the Election Commission? What are you? Digvijaya Singh ji, the country is governed by laws. If you are playing the role of Election Commission, then submit an application that I want to work in Election Commission," Mr Sharma said.

"The Election Commission is a constitutional body and it is conducting elections. Digvijaya Singh's situation has become such that he is looking for an "excuse for his defeat." This is the condition of Congress. Congress free India will be created," the BJP leader added.

Congress leader Singh said on Sunday that he was working to get 400 people to file nominations from his constituency so that polling could be conducted through the ballot paper.

"There is a way if you want the elections to be conducted through ballot paper here. If 400 candidates contest from one seat, the polls will be conducted through ballot paper. I am preparing for that," Mr Singh said while speaking at a street meeting at Kachnaria village in Rajgarh on Sunday.

Mr Singh gave details on the security deposit that has to be deposited by candidates who are willing to contest.

"Those who are not from the reserved category have to deposit Rs 25,000 as security and those from SC/ST categories have to deposit Rs 12,500. This will lead to having one seat in the country where elections will be held through ballot paper," Mr Singh said.

"We can win this election this time because people are fed up with this government," he added.

The Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held in the first four phases of the total seven phases, dated April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13. The election will be held in Rajgarh in the third phase on May 7, along with seven other parliamentary seats in the state.

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