National

Cong., BJP trade charges in Gujarat

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR, Feb. 18. With the campaigning ending tomorrow for by-elections for three Assembly seats, scheduled on February 21, rival parties are stooping down to the level of character assassination.

The floodgates were opened by the Congress, which attacked the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who is seeking his maiden entry to the Assembly from Rajkot-II constituency, and questioned his bachelor status. The party welcomed the "revelation" against Mr. Modi by a former BJP MLA, Yatin Oza, who based his charges on old reports in some Gujarati publications.

Mr. Oza, who resigned last year from the Assembly and the BJP to join the Congress, questioned Mr. Modi's marital status at a press conference. He claimed Mr. Modi had got married at a very young age and later deserted his wife. He claimed Mr. Modi's estranged wife lived in a village near Unjha in Mehsana, the home district of the Chief Minister.

Mr. Oza, an advocate, also said that a former Assembly Speaker had written to the then BJP president, L.K. Advani, complaining about Mr. Modi's "relations" with some women.

The Congress leaders appreciated this "research work" and an MP even said there was nothing wrong in telling the voters that the Chief Minister possessed "no integrity of character". The BJP has denied the allegations.

There was apprehension that the Congress would indulge in character assassination and the Deputy Collector, who is in-charge of the elections, had issued two notices to some Congress leaders warning them against such activities.

But Mr. Modi also cannot escape charges of mudslinging; he has made allegations against his erstwhile colleague, Jaspal Singh, who resigned from the BJP and is seeking re-election from Sayajiganj, in Baroda, as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

At a recent public meeting, Mr. Modi reportedly claimed that Mr. Singh was under a cloud because of his "frequent visits" to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

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