In Bhopal on Thursday, Phool Singh Baraiya, a Congress leader and victorious candidate from Bhander in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election, took the unconventional step of smearing ink on his own face. This act was in fulfillment of a pre-election pledge made by Baraiya, who had vowed to blacken his face if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured more than 50 seats in Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing India Today TV after the ink-smearing episode, Baraiya explained, “I had promised to blacken my face if the BJP wins by over 50 seats in Madhya Pradesh, and I fulfilled my promise. Digvijaya Singh appealed to me not to smear my face, but I did so as I had to fulfill my promise.” The presence of Digvijaya Singh, another prominent Congress leader, was noted during this incident.
Baraiya clarified that his seemingly eccentric act of smearing ink was driven by a desire to "protect the Constitution and democracy" of the country. A video capturing Baraiya's pre-election commitment, which subsequently went viral on social media, showcased his assertion that he would blacken his face if the BJP secured more than 50 seats in the assembly elections.
In the aftermath of the BJP's victory with 163 out of 230 seats in the assembly election, Baraiya had previously declared to India Today TV on Tuesday that he intended to carry out his promise of blackening his face in front of the Raj Bhawan on December 7. However, due to restrictions preventing him from approaching the Raj Bhawan, he opted to smear ink on his face in the Roshanpura area of Bhopal.
Baraiya took the opportunity to call upon the election authorities to reconsider the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during elections. He alleged that while his party initially led during the manual ballot count, the tide shifted in favor of the BJP as soon as the EVM counting commenced.
Despite Baraiya's earlier confidence in his party's success, the final outcome saw the Congress securing only 66 seats, falling short of their expectations. The act of smearing ink on his face, therefore, took on the symbolic significance of a unique form of protest against the election results and a plea for electoral reforms.
