The viral video of Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh distributing cash during the Jalandhar by poll election campaign has gone viral, sparking controversy and raising concerns about possible vote-buying. In the video, Singh is seen giving a Rs 500 note to a woman, which is illegal during elections.The incident enraged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who mentioned it in a public rally and later during a cabinet meeting in Ludhiana today. He accused the Congress of distributing money to voters and announced, he will file a complaint with the Election Commission regarding the matter.
The Jalandhar by-election is scheduled to take place on May 10th following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary earlier this year. The Congress has fielded Chaudhary's wife Karamjit Kaur, while the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Sushil Rinku. With only a few days left until the election, political parties are ramping up their campaigns.
During the by-election campaign, Singh and current MP of Amritsar, Gurmeet Aujla, were seen doing door-to-door campaigning in favor of the Congress candidate. A video has emerged showing Singh distributing money to women, which has led to speculation that the money was being used to buy votes.
The Election Commission has appointed a general observer, a police observer, and an expenditure observer to ensure a smooth conduct of the election. Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency has 1,972 polling stations, out of which 542 critical polling stations have been identified.
The Congress has yet to issue any clarification on the matter, while the Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Congress of engaging in malpractices during the election campaign. With the election just around the corner, it remains to be seen how this controversy will affect the final outcome.
Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh’s video of giving money to woman goes viral#congressmla #mlaranagurjitsingh #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/GbnPFXuy4E
— True Scoop (@TrueScoopNews) April 28, 2023