DPA/New Delhi


Former Bollywood diva Hema Malini, 65, has taken on several double roles in her career, but the two namesakes running against her in the Mathura parliamentary constituency are no doubles.
Her party is claiming they are part of a sneaky campaign by her political rivals.
Hema Malini, a female superstar from the 1970s is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Mathura, a Hindu holy town.
“The two other Hemas are our rival’s strategy to confuse voters,” local BJP leader Ravindra Pandey said.
According to local media, the two other Hemas, one with an identical name to the former actress, are independent candidates. Information provided in their nomination papers shows one is 25, the other 28 and both are married, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper.
If it is an attempt to confuse voters, it would not be a strategy limited to Mathura alone.
Leaders of the BJP and Congress claim there are similar clone candidates in several more constituencies across the country.
They accuse rivals of bribing or simply persuading individuals who have names similar to the rival candidate to stand for election.
In the Gujarat constituency Vadodara, there is an independent candidate Narendra Babulal Modi along with the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
In Delhi West, where polling was held on April 10, there were three Jarnail Singhs - one from the Aam Aadmi Party and two independents.
For the Kannur seat in Kerala, there are three K Sudhakarans running, one from the Congress Party and two independents.
In Mathura, Pandey dismissed the idea that the multiple Hemas in the constituency could alter the result.