Madhavi Latha, the BJP candidate from Hyderabad has created controversy by checking voter ids of muslim women in Azampur. In a video going viral, the candidate can be seen asking muslim women to lift their burqa veils to check their voter ids.
This video has erupted in controversy with many questioning her motives and criticising her for hurting religious sentiments by making muslim women remove their veils in public. They are also asking whether she has the authority to be checking voter ids by entering a polling booth.
Reacting to the controversy, Madhavi Latha dismissed questions about her integrity saying as a candidate she has the right to check the identity of voters without facemasks.
Madhavi Latha is facing off against Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad. The AIMIM chief has held the seat for 4 continuous terms and it was held by his father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi for 6 terms before that. The constituency has been a stronghold for his party since 1984. In 2019 he won the seat with 64% vote share, a massive landslide.
AIMIM is filing a formal complaint against the BJP candidate for breaching code of conduct.
Asaduddin Owaisi is a very prominent and powerful leader who frequently makes headlines for his speeches. He has a strong voter base in Hyderabad, a seat he has held since 2004 and was held by his father since 1984 before that.
Madhavi Latha is not well known in political circles but has been a charity worker, dancer and actress for years. She is known for her long history of social work and is the first woman candidate to be fielded from Hyderabad. She is no stranger to controversy with a video of her firing an arrow from a bow in the direction of a mosque during a rally going viral recently. She claimed that the video was taken out of context and was incomplete but apologised for any sentiments she hurt.
The polling in the Hyderabad constituency is ongoing right now as part of the Phase 4. The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on June 4th 2023.