Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 5: Satna BJP MP jumps queue to casts his vote

BHOPAL: Incumbent BJP MP Ganesh Singh from Satna constituency courted controversy on Monday when he went directly into the polling booth to cast his vote even as people waited in the queue outside for their turn to vote.

When asked by media persons outside the polling booth, why he didn't stand in the queue to cast his vote as all the people were doing, Ganesh said, "I didn't defy the norm because I am MP but because of Muhurt (auspicious time to vote)".

When TOI tried to contact him over his mobile, he was not available for comment.

"The polling officer, who allowed Ganesh Singh to vote before others, should be immediately suspended by the Election Commission. The country is run according to law and not according to Muhurt," said Bhupendra Gupta, State Congress media vice-president.

BJP chief spokesperson, Deepak Vijayvargiya, however, defended Ganesh Singh. "Ganesh Singh has cast vote according to norms. As far as we know he has done nothing wrong and making it an issue is unwarranted," he added.

"I have received no complaint of this kind so far but there is no way polling officer can be held guilty if Ganesh Singh went into the polling booth without standing in the queue. Polling officer would naturally assume that the person who has come to vote is from the queue unless there is an objection from someone, which was not the case here," said Satyendra Singh, Satna collector.