Varanasi, May 12 : Beleaguered Congress candidate from Varanasi, Ajay Rai, Monday received surprise support from veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

Terming the pinning of a "hand" symbol by Rai while going to cast his vote as a "small issue," the former union HRD minister said not much should be made out of such incidents.

When told his party, the BJP, had lodged a formal complaint against Rai with the Election Commission, Joshi, the incumbent MP from Varanasi and now contesting from Kanpur, said in such a scenario should the hands of people be chopped off while going to polls.

Hand is the party symbol of the Congress. The 86-year-old Joshi was in Varanasi to cast his vote.

He however added later he now expected the EC to behave in an impartial manner. "We would like to now see if the set of rules under the model code of conduct are the same for all," he told reporters here.(IANS)