Former Vice President Faisal Naseem has denied anti-campaigning against his sister Nazra Naseem (Nazu) who lost the Fuvahmulah Dhekunu constituency's seat in the parliamentary elections.
Ahmed Mahloof, the former Youth Minister, accused Faisal of calling constituents and family members and urging them not to vote for his wife.
Faisal told Adhadhu today that he campaigned in the parliamentary elections as instructed by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and that he worked night and day to gain votes for MDP candidates.
"I didn't anti-campaign for anyone in MDP or any other candidate. I didn't work against anyone. I haven't worked against any MDP candidates or any other candidates from other parties or constituencies. I worked to find victory in the election for MDP candidates," Faisal said.
MDP members and the people of Maldives have seen him working in that regard, Faisal added.
There is no truth in the allegations made by Mahloof and there is nothing else to say about it, he said.
“That is definitely a lie. The vote is also secret. However, I gave my vote to her,” Faisal said.
He said he did not go to the constituency to campaign for Nazu because a request was not made and the party had determined where he should go for campaigns.
Mahloof, who was the Youth Minister in the previous MDP government, first made the allegation in a Whatsapp group with senior MDP leaders. Faisal had called constituents and family members and urged them not to vote for Nazu, Mahloof wrote.
After the allegation was reported in the media, Mahloof shared a news article on his official X account, saying that it was the truth despite conceding defeat.
Nazu's family and the MDP team in Fuvahmulah Dhekunu constituency are not going to give up on the case and The MDP should take action against Faisal after investigating, he wrote.
"Like he worked against President [Ibrahim Mohamed] Solih in the presidential election and changed the government, this time has caused the loss of this seat for the MDP by a 48-vote margin."
