BJP filed a complaint in Mathura with Election Commission alleging that the district election office flouted norms in placing names and allotting ballot numbers on the EVM to various candidates contesting the Mathura Lok Sabha seat.
BJP's district general secretary Ravindra Pandey in his complaint said that the district election office has given preference to regional and independent candidates in placing names and allotting ballot number on the EVM.
Officials however, denied any such discrepancies.
"There have been no discrepancies made and ballot numbers have been allotted as per norms of election commission i.e., in Hindi alphabetic order," District Magistrate Vishal Chauhan said.
Pandey however said, "According to set norms, the order for allotting ballot number is based on party type i.e. first number should be alloted to a national party, followed by regional party, registered party and independent candidate."
He further alleged that Samajwadi Party, being a regional party has been given preference and its candidate Chandan Singh has been given a ballot number one, while BJP's nominee Hema Malini has been allotted ballot number four.
Interestingly, an independent candidate and a namesake of actress Hema Malini, is also in the fray. BJP leaders alleged that the independent candidate Hema Malini has been alloted election symbol 'cauliflower' which resembles the BJP's 'lotus' symbol, and can thus confuse voters.
On providing symbols to independent candidates, Chauhan said that after going through pros and cons, the Commission must have given free symbol to 'cauliflower'. "When independent candidate Hema Malini has given priority to cauliflower symbol, how can we deny it," the officer said.
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