A worker of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was apprehended for trying to lure voters with money in the Gariadhar assembly constituency in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.
As per reports, the accused was identified as Deepak Khunte. He gave ₹3 lakh rupees to 8 members of the Koli community in exchange for voting for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Deepak had tasked the 8 men to convince his community to vote en masse for the AAP, which is desperately trying to make in-roads in Gujarat.
They were identified as Rajubhai Khodabhai Mavatiya, Kanubhai Mathurbhai Mavatiya, Bhupatbhai Chhaganbhai Makwana, Jayesh Valjibhai Makwana, Kharabhai Vajabhai Zinzuwadia, Dhirubhai Veljibhai Parmar, Gordhanbhai Bachubhai Chauhan and Manjibhai Ravjibhai Zinzuwadia.
The 8 men, who are residents of Gundarna village, agreed to the nefarious plan. Reportedly, each of them took ₹75,000 as a bribe from Deepak to help garner votes for the Aam Aadmi Party.
They had camped at a hotel the Shetrunji Dam Chowk on Talaja-Palitana road to buy tea and biscuits. Pankaj Kumar Rathod, the assistant Development Officer of Gariadhar Taluk, was present at the same hotel and managed to ‘overhear’ their conversation.
He immediately informed the Jessar Police about the matter. While the 8 men were en route to the Gariadhar constituency, the Flying Surveillance or Squad Team (FST) of the Election Commission nabbed them near Jesar Chokdi.
They confessed to receiving the money from AAP worker Deepak Khunte. The development comes days ahead of the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls in the State.
