Aam Aadmi Party sets up sting team

Fears rival parties may use liquor, money to swing votes in their favour

Rajinder Nagarkoti
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 2
Apprehending that flow of liquor and cash by rival parties in colonies and villages, especially during the last week of campaigning, may alter the poll scenario, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has formed a team of 50 volunteers, which will carry out sting operations to expose any such attempt by the rival parties.

The AAP will provide spy cameras and other devices to record any such attempt by workers of other political parties. An AAP volunteer said parties, in a bid to woo voters, were likely to distribute cash and liquor bottles among colony and village residents.

Munish Kumar Raizada, campaign manager, AAP, Chandigarh, said they had formed a team of volunteers, who would work in different wards of the city. They are getting a good response from all sections of society in the city. We are suspecting that rival parties may lure voters with cash and liquor in colonies and villages to swing votes in their favour," he said.

Raizada said the volunteers would record any such activities in spy cameras, mobile phones and voice recorders. The AAP would then submit the recording to the UT Election Department and the UT police for action, he said.

AAP volunteer Gurjusjit Singh said they had already placed the order for spy cameras, which would be given to the team members. They had undertaken this initiative as they wanted the elections to be fair, he said.

Why colonies, villages are important

Villages and colonies on the periphery of the city are the gateway to success in the Lok Sabha elections. With around 57 per cent voters of the city residing here, these areas will play an important role in deciding the fate of the candidates. According to the revised list of the Election Department, around 3.50 lakh voters of the total 6.13 lakh are from villages and colonies.

Mani Majra, which includes Mani Majra village, alone has 48,103 voters. Dhanas, Ram Darbar, Bapu Dham Colony, Burail, Kajehri village, Sector 25 Colony, Dadu Majra Colony, Maloya Colony and Hallo Majra village comprise the major chunk of voters in villages and colonies.

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