A party gave Rs 5000 per voter: Mishra

BHUBANESWAR: Leader of the Opposition and Congress veteran Narasingh Mishra on Sunday raised the issue of cash for vote by stating that crores of rupees were spent by political parties to get an upper-hand in the by-poll to Bijepur Assembly constituency.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Corruption in Public Service and Remedies’ at Puri, Mishra said, “When I reached a village during campaign for the Congress in the by-poll, a villager said another political party has given him Rs 5000 for his vote. How much your party is prepared to give.”

Mishra said if the political party has given Rs 5000 each to at least one lakh voters, then the expenditure would be Rs 50 crore for bribing the voters alone. If corruption has gone to such an extent, how can it be curbed, he asked and added that the Constitution should be amended to put a cap on property which can be owned by a person.

Besides, changes should be brought in election laws, he said and added that the Special Court Act should be enforced in letter and spirit, though the present Act is a diluted version of the original Act.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty said Mahatma Gandhi would have lost election without money had he been alive now.