Gurugram, May 10 (IANS): The election campaign in Gurugram reached new low on Thursday when sitting MP and Union Minister Rao Inderjeet Singh threatened to send his Congress rival, Captain Ajay Yadav, to jail if he wins. The Congress leader hit back with hs own set of allegations.
"If Chautala (INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala) went to jail in corruption charges, Captain Ajay Yadav can also go to jail. If I win the election, I will initiate an inquiry against him and send to jail," Rao Inderjeet said at a rally in Mirpur village.
Claiming that he was the one who had helped Yadav in winning elections in the past from Rewari, the BJP candidate accused him of corruption during his tenure as cabinet minister in the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government.
Political observers contend that Rao Inderjeet's outburst comes as Yadav, who belongs to same the caste, is seen as ahead of him in attracting support on the basis of the overall anti-incumbency factor, votes of minorities and division of votes in Ahirwal.
Hitting back, Yadav alleged that Rao Inderjeet has obtained three acres land in south Delhi's Chattarpur to built a farmhouse and a "castle-like building". "He has even built a castle in his native village Rampura. What was his source of income? Can he disclose it," he asked.
He also rubbished the claim of "help" in previous elections.
"I have won six assembly election from Rewari. Even, my father Rao Abhay Singh defeated his father Rao Birender Singh in 1952. My father also defeated his brother Syoraj Singh in 1972. I have beaten his brother Rao Ajit Singh in 1989. What he is talking about. His allegation is baseless and no truth in it," Yadav said at a rally in Gurugram.
"He is staring at defeat and hence losing his cool during the campaign," he claimed.
The situation for Rao Inderjeet has worsened as that the over 20 lakh voters of Gurugram, include 5.3 lakh voters on Nuh district with majority of them belonging to the Muslim community. The BJP is counting only on the 10.82 lakh voters of Gurugram and 6.4 lakh of Rewari where Yadav is also gaining big chunk of support through the divisions in their common Ahirwal caste. Voters of Nuh, hence, could be the deciding factor in the Gurugram contest.