Bhopal, Nov 13 (PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on Wednesday accused each other of trying to intimidate the voters in the Vijaypur assembly constituency in Sheopur district where polling for a byelection was underway.
The administration stopped state BJP chief V D Sharma at the district border at Basreya near Karahal, while state Congress chief Jitu Patwari was stopped at Kuhajapur when he was entering from Rajasthan.
BJP leaders were roaming freely in Vijaypur and the ruling party's goons were threatening voters, alleged Patwari.
Police only stopped and detained Congress leaders at the border of Sheopur district, he claimed.
"The democracy in Madhya Pradesh is now on its deathbed. Neither the Election Commission nor the Madhya Pradesh administration are intervening. From the collector to police officers, everyone is working as BJP agents," the Congress leader told reporters.
State BJP chief Sharma claimed that Congress workers attacked members of tribal communities.
"Fearing defeat, Congress leaders systematically attacked tribal brothers and influenced the elections. Why did Congress workers stay in Vijaypur constituency after the campaigning was over?" he said, demanding that the Election Commission and administration take strict action.
The bypoll in Vijaypur was necessitated due to the resignation of Ramniwas Rawat, who crossed over from Congress to the BJP earlier this year. He is currently forest minister in the Mohan Yadav government, and is contesting as BJP nominee.
Polling started at 7 am on Wednesday in both Vijaypur and Budhni constituencies. The bypoll in Budhni was necessitated as union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Vidisha.