Lok Sabha Polls 2019: Now, Maneka Gandhi's "ABCD" Grading Of Villages Based On Votes For BJP

Barely out of one controversy, Maneka Gandhi has set up another with her latest shocker from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit, where her son Varun is contesting as the BJP candidate. The union minister has shared plans to grade villages according to the number of votes for her and prioritise development work accordingly.

Addressing an election meeting in the parliamentary constituency that she currently represents, Maneka Gandhi said, according to news agency ANI, "We win in Pilibhit every time, so what is the parameter that we work more for one village and less for the other. The parameter is that we segregate all villages as A, B, C, and D. The village where we get 80 per cent votes is A, the village in which we get 60 per cent is B, the village in which we get 50 per cent is C and the village where we get less than 50 per cent is D. The development work first happens in all A category villages. Then comes B and only after work in B is done, we start with C. So this is up to you whether you make it to A, B or C and no one should come in D because we all have come here to do good."

Maneka Gandhi had last week said at a meeting in Sultanpur, where she is contesting, that Muslims who did not vote for her should not expect any help from her. She said her win was certain "with or without" the support of Muslims, but if she found out an area had not voted for her, it would leave a bitter taste. "Then when a Muslim comes to me for work, I think let it be," she said.

The Election Commission had issued a show-cause notice on those comments.

In a straight swap, Maneka Gandhi is contesting from her son Varun Gandhi's Sultanpur constituency while he is the BJP candidate in Pilibhit.

Pilibhit will be going to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 23. The results of the seven-phase national election will be announced on May 23.