Belagavi: It's a happy time for the people of Belagavi Rural. With the assembly poll only a few months away, they are being showered with gifts ranging from sarees to cookers and utensils.
While around 25,000 sarees were distributed by various political parties among women here over the last few days, it's the turn of pressure-cookers now.
Over the last two days, thousands of cookers have been distributed all through the night in many areas of Belagavi Rural allegedly by Ms Laxmi Hebbalkar, president of the State Women's Congress Cell, who has been unofficially declared the party candidate from the constituency. Packed in attractive gift boxes with a photograph of Ms Hebbalkar on them, the cookers are finding their way to the homes of voters and several women on Belagavi's outskirts were spotted carrying the boxes on Tuesday.
Worse, in an embarrassment for the Congress, a video-clip showing Ms Hebbalkar's son, Mrinal Hebbalkar supervising the distribution of cookers among a large number of women went viral on social media on Tuesday. It showed a truckload of cookers being brought to a locality and several leaders headed by Mrinal Hebbalkar appealing with folding hands to each woman receiving the gift box to vote for Ms Laxmi Hebbalkar.
Seeing the video clip, the BJP MLA from Belgaum Rural constituency, Sanjay Patil accused Ms Hebbalkar of trying to buy votes with gifts. "Voters will not be taken for a ride by gifts of cookers or sarees. The poll will be decided on development issues," he said.
But despite his accusation, going by sources, both the Congress and BJP are playing the wooing game and voters here could be showered with more gifts in April.
Belagavi: It's a happy time for the people of Belagavi Rural. With the assembly poll only a few months away, they are being showered with gifts ranging from sarees to cookers and utensils.
While around 25,000 sarees were distributed by various political parties among women here over the last few days, it's the turn of pressure-cookers now.
Over the last two days, thousands of cookers have been distributed all through the night in many areas of Belagavi Rural allegedly by Ms Laxmi Hebbalkar, president of the State Women's Congress Cell, who has been unofficially declared the party candidate from the constituency. Packed in attractive gift boxes with a photograph of Ms Hebbalkar on them, the cookers are finding their way to the homes of voters and several women on Belagavi's outskirts were spotted carrying the boxes on Tuesday.
Worse, in an embarrassment for the Congress, a video-clip showing Ms Hebbalkar's son, Mrinal Hebbalkar supervising the distribution of cookers among a large number of women went viral on social media on Tuesday. It showed a truckload of cookers being brought to a locality and several leaders headed by Mrinal Hebbalkar appealing with folding hands to each woman receiving the gift box to vote for Ms Laxmi Hebbalkar.
Seeing the video clip, the BJP MLA from Belgaum Rural constituency, Sanjay Patil accused Ms Hebbalkar of trying to buy votes with gifts. "Voters will not be taken for a ride by gifts of cookers or sarees. The poll will be decided on development issues," he said.
But despite his accusation, going by sources, both the Congress and BJP are playing the wooing game and voters here could be showered with more gifts in April.
