Lok Sabha Polls: In Indore, Congress urges voters to press NOTA after Akshay Kanti Bam joins BJP

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 3 (ANI): Ejected from the contest in the Indore Lok Sabha constituency after its candidate joined the BJP following the withdrawal of his nomination, the Congress has appealed to voters to hit the 'None of the above' (NOTA) option on May 13, the date for election in the parliamentary constituency.
Akshay Kanti Bam, whom the Congress pitted against BJP's sitting MP Shankar Lalwani withdrew his nomination on Monday, the last day for withdrawal of nomination switched over to the BJP.
Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma, while speaking to ANI accused the BJP of committing a "heinous crime".
"I think Narendra Modi's BJP has committed a heinous crime. Indore is known for justice. But BJP people wrote the definition for injustice. For months we have been saying that if you make the BJP win, democracy will not survive, that the Constitution will not survive," he said.
The Congress leader further said that the "forced withdrawal of the form of a recognised party's candidate is the murder of democracy".
"Indore will have to give them an answer for this. This is a question of the honour of Indore. I appeal to every citizen that 'NOTA' is the only option. If you want to keep democracy alive, you will have to make an example out of Indore," he added.
The Indore constituency in Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the general elections.
After the withdrawal of nominations, 14 candidates, including nine independents, are left in the fray in Indore.
In a major blow to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh Akshay Kanti Bam, the party's candidate from Indore on Monday withdrew his nomination and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Soon after, senior BJP leader and state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya welcomed Bam to the BJP.
In a post on X, Vijayvargiya stated, "Akshay Kanti Bam, Congress' Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, is welcomed to the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and state president VD Sharma." (ANI)