The Hindu : National : Shekhawat charged with seeking Congress MLAs’ votes

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Friday, Jul 13, 2007
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Shekhawat charged with seeking Congress MLAs’ votes

Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR: Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Arjun Modhvadia on Thursday charged the National Democratic Alliance candidate for the Presidential elections, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, with encouraging Congress legislators to indulge in cross-voting.

He told a hurriedly convened media conference here that a Congress member of the State Assembly, Baldevji Thakore, who represented Kadi in Mehsana district in north Gujarat, was “approached by Mr. Shekhawat” to vote for him in the Presidential elections with the “promise” that he would “do his work, if any” if he was elected. Mr Thakore, who was present at the media conference, said that he received a call at around 12.35 p.m. on his mobile phone from a Delhi landline number while he was touring the flood-affected areas in his constituency on Thursday, and the caller told him that Mr Shekhawat wanted to talk to him.

Then a person, who identified himself as Shekhawat requested him to vote for him in the Presidential elections. Mr Thakore said he thought that Mr Shekhawat was unaware that he belonged to the Congress.

“So, I told him that I am a Congress legislator, how can I vote for you? to which Mr Shekhawat said, ‘the Congress candidate is not competent. If I am elected, I will do your work’.”

Mr Thakore claimed that he expressed his inability to cross-vote and hung up after thanking the caller.

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