Mallika Sarabhai, who is contesting as an Independent candidate in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on April 6 alleged that the BJP government in Gujarat was “systematically” leaving out a large section of anti-BJP voters from registering. Talking to journalists during her campaign in the minority-dominated Juhapura locality in Ahmedabad, Ms. Sarabhai said the locality, with over 3.75 lakh people, had only about 75,000 people registered as voters. Even considering that about 35 per cent of the population could be below the voting age, the area should still have about 2.5 lakh voters.
After the BJP turned down a suggestion that Mr. Advani engage in an open debate with her, Ms. Sarabhai said she would raise five questions to the BJP leader every week through the media. Some of the questions are: How many questions did Mr. Advani raise in the Lok Sabha about his constituency in the last five years? Why had he not raised his voice against violence and atrocities on women in the State and in his constituency? Claiming that Mr. Advani had spent only Rs. 2 crore of the Rs. 10 crore he was entitled to spend from the MPLADS in the last two terms, she wondered why the money was refunded when thousands of women slum dwellers at Ramdev Pir Nagar suffered without toilet facilities and other basic amenities.