One often hears of candidates luring people with liquor and money for their votes. But how often is that people vote for a person who has refused them those very things? Almost, never.
But this happened with 72-year-old Har Prakash, popularly known as Guinness Rishi, who contested as an Independent from north Delhi's Dhirpur. Rishi wanted to create a record by not getting any votes and had gone around the area, telling people not to vote for him and refusing demands of liquor and money. And yet, a few people did vote for him.
A disappointed Rishi was seen at the Delhi State Election Commission office on Wednesday. "Candidates visit our office to file complaints about losing elections. But for the first time we had a candidate ruing the fact that he got votes. He was very disappointed that people had voted for him," said Rakesh Mehta, Delhi State Election Commission.
"A few people had asked me to give them liquor if they did not want them to vote for me. Normally candidates offer liquor and cash to voters to make sure people want for them. But here I was being asked to bribe them for not getting their votes. Moreover, I was not in a position to give liquor to 200-300 people and out of anger a few of them voted for me to spoil my record," Rishi lamented.
Unable to create a record, Rishi is now eyeing the Delhi Assembly elections. "During campaigning, I met over 10,000 people and asked them not to vote for me. I told them there were better candidates and they should vote for them. But I did ask them to come out and vote. Last year the voting percentage of my ward was 42 and I had appealed to the residents to make it 70 per cent," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Unable to create a record, Rishi is now eyeing the Delhi Assembly elections. "During campaigning, I met over 10,000 people and asked them not to vote for me. I told them there were better candidates and they should vote for them. But I did ask them to come out and vote. Last year the voting percentage of my ward was 42 and I had appealed to the residents to make it 70 per cent," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Rishi even suspects that his wife also voted for him. "Though she told me that she hadn't voted for me, she had been smiling when she said that. So I really have my doubts," he added.