POWER IS again a big issue for the BJP — though only in Budhni Assembly constituency. Paradoxically, it is the BJP that is raising the issue to take advantage on the Congress, despite it being in power. The Congress candidate is on defensive.
The BJP had made the power crisis in the State a big issue in the 2003 Assembly elections. Power cuts have returned to Budhni constituency in the wake of the Congress and the GGP candidates’ complaints to the Election Commission that the State Government was giving 24 hours power supply to the constituency in a bid to lure the voters. Now, power cuts have been resorted to in the constituency for about seven to eight hours a day.
The words are now doing the rounds in the entire constituency, thanks to the BJP workers’ well-planned campaign, that it is the Congress which made their lives miserable by lodging the complaints to the Election Commission.
As one Suresh of Rehti said, the situation was creation of the Congress’ complaints. The Congress did not give power when it was in power for ten years. And now that Budhni was getting power, they (the Congress) snapped the supply. Mohan Shastri said because of power cuts they were facing drinking water problem also.
The CM today raised the power cuts issue in his election speech and blamed the Congress squarely for “being averse to improvement in power situation”.
{{/usCountry}}The CM today raised the power cuts issue in his election speech and blamed the Congress squarely for “being averse to improvement in power situation”.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress candidate Rajkumar Patel is defensive. Talking to Hindustan Times he said the Congress never lodged complaint to the Election Commission to this effect.
He said there was no doubt power supply was being given to the constituency for 24 hours to lure the voters but he never demanded power cuts.