Jhabua bypoll: Indore BJP MLA booked for unauthorised presence

BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola was booked on Sunday for being present in Jabhua Assembly seat, which goes to polls on Monday, even after the campaign period ended.

Mendola is an MLA from Indore-II seat and Election Commission rules specify that political functionaries/party workers, who have been brought from outside or are not listed as voters of a poll-bound constituency, have to leave the place once the campaign period is over.

Campaigning for the Jhabua bypoll ended at 5pm on Saturday.

Superintendent of Police Vinit Jain said information was received at 4pm that Mendola was seen in Bhagor villager which is part of Jhabua Assembly segment.

"We have registered a case under sections 171F (undue influence at an election) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC against Mendola," the SP said. He has not been arrested as yet, Jain added.

The move was criticised by the BJP with its district general secretary Praveen Surana claiming the police was displaying bias.

"Mendola was coming from Gujarat and going to Ujjain when the police stopped him at Antarvelia post. They checked his vehicle and found nothing. This is harassment," he said.

The Congress' state media cell chairperson Shobha Oza, meanwhile, said Mendola's presence in Jhabua showed the BJP was trying to use money power to influence the bypoll.

She said the Congress was assured of victory due to development works carried out by the Kamal Nath government in the past nine months.

The main bypoll contestants are senior Congress leader Kantilal Bhuria and BJP's Bhanu Bhuria, who is making his electoral debut.