Rahul objects to lotus sketch in Amethi polling station

Rahul Gandhi lodged a complain with the Election Commission (EC) against BJP today, after seeing a lotus, BJP’s polling symbol, sketched onto the side of a polling booth in Amethi, from where Gandhi is contesting for the third time.

Gandhi saw the lotus flowed drawn with chalk on a school classroom, in the Phula village in Tilloi. He pointed it out to the polling officials, saying that he would formally complain the Election Commission.

Mr Gandhi is touring Amethi extensively on the polling day for the first time in 10 years. The Aam Admi Party complained against him because he was travelling in 15 vehicles on polling day, but Congress workers defended the party saying that it was necessary, because Gandhi wanted to ensure there was no poll violation.

The 43-year-old has been widely seen as fighting the prestige battle that haunts his last name as he tries assumes a position previously held by his mother, Sonia Gandhi, and father Rajiv Gandhi.

On Monday, Narendra Modi who is BJP’s prime ministerial candidate visited Amethi. When he arrived it was the final hours of the campaigning, but he pitched for his party’s Amethi candidate, further escalating his war with the Gandhis and Congress.

Last week, the Congress had lodged a complaint against Modi after he flashed a lotus at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar, where he had cast his vote. Following the orders of the EC, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Mr Modi in Gujarat.