BJP disowns campaign CD

The BJP, in its reply to a notice from the Election Commission over a controversial campaign CD, disowned the CD completely, making Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Manoj Mishra the fall guy for the entire episode.

The Election Commission had sent a notice to the party questioning as to why the party should not be derecognized after it received complaints about an inflammatory campaign CD of the BJP. The party in a reply released to the media said that the CD had been released without the consent or even knowledge of the leaders.

The reply clearly states that the "BJP has not produced, displayed or distributed the impugned CD. The CD does not form part of the campaign material of the party."

The party also said that the CD had been erroneously added to the campaign kit of the party and that subsequently, the man responsible for the mistake, state BJP spokesperson Manoj Misra has been removed from the post.

The party exonerated all its top leadership of any culpability in the "mistake" committed. It said that the neither had the senior leaders seen nor approved of the CD.

The party said that as soon as the CD was brought to the notice of the party, it had withdrawn it and had at no point of time defied the Model Code of Conduct imposed by the Election Commission. Party leaders were, however, quite satisfied by the brouhaha created by the CD.

In purely political terms, party leaders believe that any polarization on communal line is going to help the party in Uttar Pradesh.

"The CD issue has brought the question of versions of Godhra and Babri Masjid back in the limelight. It will demonstrate the fact that it is only the BJP which speaks for the Hindus," said a senior party functionary.

The Election Commission had also spoken of filing FIRs against party president Rajnath Singh and senior UP leader Lalji Tandon, who was caught in the eye of the storm, it is not clear whether they shall do so.

Meanwhile, unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the first phase of polling in the 62 Assembly seats spread across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

All the inter-state borders have been sealed, while heavy checking of vehicles and frisking was underway in all the Assembly segments where the polling is scheduled from 0700 hrs to 1700 tomorrow. Authorities in Phase I are also contemplating to snap the mobile services in the regions to prevent its misuse by anti-social elements.

Central forces, which have been entrusted to ensure free-and-fair elections, are holding a flag march in all the Assembly constituencies to instill confidence among the voters.