The Election Commission is not alone in questioning the use of religious symbols at the public meeting addressed by Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Narendra Modi on Monday. The chief priest of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das, has criticised the event as “an unethical drama” and criticised Modi for using Lord Ram to gain electoral benefits.



“Modi invoked Ram not out of respect or devotion but to derive electoral benefits in Faizabad,” Satyendra Das told Scroll.in over the phone on Tuesday, a day after the commission served a showcause notice on Lallu Singh, the BJP candidate from Faizabad who organised the event.



“Modi has nothing to do with Ram,” said Satyendra Das, who is noted for his politeness and frankness. “He simply wants to use the name of Ram in order to become the prime minister. But Lord Ram knows who is good and who is bad.”



Addressing a public rally at Faizabad’s GIC ground, about 10 km away from the disputed site in Ayodhya where Hindu fundamentalists demolished a mosque that they want to have replaced by a temple, Modi had said, “Bhagwan Shri Ram ki iss paawan dharti ko mein pranam karta hoon. I salute this holy land of Lord Ram.” With the giant backdrop on the stage featuring images of Lord Ram, Modi went on to say, “This is the land of Lord Ram where people believe that one may lose one’s life but never break a vow. Can you forgive those who broke their promises? The Gandhi family promised crores of jobs. But did anyone get employment?”



The Congress quickly objected to the use of Ram’s images and complained that it had violated the model code of conduct. The Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh sought a report from the District Magistrate of Faizabad, who in turn served a notice on Lallu Singh seeking an explanation.



Monday was the last day of campaigning in Faizabad, which goes to polls today. Whether Modi’s last-ditch effort in this constituency pays off electorally will be known only on May 16, the day counting takes place. But the two major contenders in Faizabad constituency – Samajwadi Party candidate Mitrasen Yadav and Congress nominee Nirmal Khatri – also went all out to make the maximum use of the last day of campaigning.



For both Yadav and Khatri, who are considered to be the main contenders in Faizabad, the Muslim vote has become critical – whoever gets it has the better chance of victory. A division in Muslim vote, on the other hand, may benefit Lallu Singh, who is battling intense infighting in his own party. Party insiders say Vinay Katiyar, the BJP heavyweight in Ayodhya, has gone all out to defeat Lallu Singh. Katiyar, who belongs to Kurmi caste, is said to be trying hard to shift his caste votes in favour of the Congress candidate Mitrasen Yadav.



For now, the SP seems to have lost the confidence of Muslims. This was the result of the Akhilesh Yadav government’s inability to act decisively when a series of communal incidents broke out around Faizabad in 2012. In a last-minute attempt to woo Muslim voters, senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav on Monday addressed a public meeting at Darshan Nagar in Ayodhya and called for a united effort by Muslims and Yadavs to defeat the BJP.



For Khatri, who appears assured of the Muslim vote, the last day of campaigning was aimed at creating a split among Brahmins in Faizabad. On Monday, Rajan Mishra, a prominent Brahmin face in the district and a former leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, formally joined Congress. With this, political observers said that Khatri has not only run away with a section of the BJP’s upper caste vote, he has also strengthened his own position vis-à-vis Mitrasen Yadav. The increase in Khatri’s base vote means that he could prove more attractive for Muslims than his SP rival since they believe he has the better chance of defeating the BJP candidate.



