Betul: Ashok Bhalavi, a Lok Sabha candidate of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Madhya Pradesh's Betul constituency, died of cardiac arrest, announced DM Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi on Tuesday. Bhalavi's death has caused the elections to be postponed in the constituency earlier scheduled in the second phase on April 26.
According to the party, Bhalavi was sent to a hospital after he complained of chest pain, but the doctors declared him dead afterwards. The Betul DM confirmed the BSP candidate's death of cardiac arrest, adding that the Election Commission has been informed of the matter and the elections scheduled on April 26 had been postponed.
Dr Manish Lashkare, who runs a private hospital, said the BSP leader suffered a heart attack and he was dead by the time he was brought to the hospital.
"BSP candidate from Betul Ashok Bhalavi died due to cardiac arrest. We have informed the Election Commission about this. Under Section 52 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, we have postponed the second phase of voting which was to be held on April 26," Suryavanshi said.
Under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, the election process was stopped and further action will be taken as per the directives of the Election Commission of India, said district collector and returning officer Narendra Singh Raghuvanshi.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) incumbent MP from Betul, Durga Das Uikey, has once again been fielded from the constituency, while the Congress has fielded Ramu Tekam. Betul was slated to vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, along with Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, and Hoshangabad seats.
(with inputs from agencies)
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