Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath has accused the BJP of exerting pressure on opposition leaders to prevent them from contesting elections, which he believes goes against the fundamental principles of democracy and the constitution. Just a day after Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bham withdrew his nomination in Indore and joined the BJP, the former CM stated that such incidents undermine the importance of the electoral process in a democratic setup.
Expressing Concern Over the Indore Incident
On Monday, Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bham withdrew his nomination from Indore and joined the BJP, dealing a significant blow to the Congress. Following this event, it is being assumed that the BJP candidate will win in Indore. In the wake of this incident, Congress has continuously criticized the BJP. Kamal Nath wrote on his Twitter handle, “Pressuring opposition leaders to prevent them from contesting elections goes against the fundamental principles of democracy and the constitution. Our constitution has given paramount importance to the people in the electoral process. If the main opposition party’s candidate is removed from the election field, then the importance of the public in the electoral process will be lost. Everyone has the right to contest elections and everyone has the best right to vote given by our constitution, which should always be protected. The constitution and democracy must be protected.”
“Danger to Free and Fair Elections”
Earlier as well, he had expressed his opposition to this incident. A day earlier, he had said that the way the nomination of the Congress candidate from Indore was withdrawn, it poses a significant danger to free and fair elections. We have seen the removal of the SP candidate’s nomination in Khajuraho and uncontested elections in Surat before. It is clear that the misuse of power, pressure, and temptation are at their peak. I appeal to the true workers of Congress that this is the time to fight. Victory will be ensured only through struggle. The public is watching this dishonesty and will punish the dishonest.
The incident in Indore has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process, with Kamal Nath and other Congress leaders emphasizing the need to uphold the democratic principles enshrined in the constitution.