Indore BJP Councillor tear off NOTA posters from auto-rickshaws pasted by Congress leaders

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 9 (ANI): The BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday hit out at Congress for appealing to voters to exercise the ‘None of the above’ (NOTA) option.

BJP has begun a counter-campaign as Councillor Sandhya Yadav removed posters pasted on auto-rickshaws advocating the same.

Irked Councillor Sandhya Yadav from Ward 6 stopped the auto rickshaws and tore the NOTA campaign posters. A video of the same has surfaced on social media platforms.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, “The auto driver has no idea about the NOTA option and he was paid Rs 50 to stick the poster on his auto rickshaw and asked to remove it after some time. He (driver) said I will give my vote to PM Modi.”

“Congress candidates were influenced by the BJP’s ideology and joined the party,” said the councillor, referring to Akshay Bam dropping out of the Indore Lok Sabha seat and joining the BJP.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shobha Oza took to social media platform X and posted the video of the councillor removing the poster along with a caption that stated, “BJP councillor of ward number 6, Sandhya Yadav, who is worried due to NOTA wave in Indore, is forcibly removing NOTA banners from auto rickshaws. Why is there so much restlessness and anxiety in the BJP, which claims victory with eight lakh votes over NOTA?”

The Congress received a jolt after its Lok Sabha poll candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrew his nomination on April 29.

After Bam withdrew his nomination papers and joined the BJP, ditching Congress at the last moment, the opposition party is appealing to voters to press the NOTA button.

Indore will go to poll in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 13 with seven other parliamentary seats in the state.

Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases.

The first phase of polling was held on April 19 and the second phase was concluded on April 26. The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. Out of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved.