The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a two-day "referendum" in Gujarat, soliciting voters' views on bringing back the black money of Indians stashed in tax havens abroad.
The initiative follows instructions of Chief Minister Narendra Modi who wants the exercise to be
completed in two days. The results of the 'referendum' would be made public April 15, a senior party official said.
Cardboard 'ballot boxes' were put up in 2,000 polling centres across the state for the voters to express their views on whether India should bring back the unaccounted funds Indians have parked in banks in Switzerland and other countries.
LK Advani, BJP's prime ministerial candidate and nominee for the Gandhinagar seat, raised the issue last month, ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in London where the matter was discussed.
Since then, Advani as well as other BJP leaders have been highlighting the issue, promising to repatriate the black money, worth an estimated Rs. 25 lakh crore, and use the same for development works, if voted to power.