BHUBANESHWAR: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today demanded that action should be initiated against Union Tribal Affairs minister Jual Oram for filing incorrect poll expenditure statement in connection with election to Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency in 2014.
More than ten BJD MPs including Rajya Sabha member Dilip Tirkey today met chief election commissioner AK Joti at New Delhi and submitted a memorandum demanding action against Oram over poll expenditure irregularities. The MPs alleged it is evident from perusal of statement of election expenditure filed by Oram before the Commission that there is serious discrepancy in figures about money received by him in cheque and cash.
The memorandum alleged that in schedule 7, the candidate is required to provide details of own funds used by him for election campaign. In his statement of expenses under part III, Oram has stated that the amount of own fund used for election campaign as per schedule 7 is nil. Besides, he has stated against schedule 7 that it is not applicable, it added.
However, as per schedule 9 of statement of expenditure Oram has shown to have received Rs 1.59 lakh under 'cash deposit self' and Rs 2 lakh under 'own cheque'. “This contradicts with the statement made under schedule 7 wherein he has stated not have used any amount of own fund for his election campaign,” the memorandum added.
“Oram having knowingly filed incorrect account of expenditure has purposefully misled the Election Commission and thereby frustrated the process of conducting a free and fair poll,” the memorandum said.
Stating that there are discrepancies in the fund received by Oram from BJP and the amount he spent during the polls, Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Deb said the BJD had earlier raised the issue. “Today we informed the Election Commission and demanded a probe into the charges,” he said.
Meanwhile, Oram has dimissed the complaint filed against him by BJD MPs as politically motivated.
Refuting the charges, the state unit of the BJP alleged that complaint against Oram is a pressure tactic of BJD as chief minister Naveen Patnaik is facing charges of submitting incorrect election expenditure statement. BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya alleged that there is discrepancy in the statements of expenditure submitted by the chief minister and BJD for the Hinjili assembly constituency before the Commission.
Referring to the statement of a BJD MP that charges against the chief minister levelled by the BJP after one year of the election should be thrown to the dustbin, Acharya said the BJD has now contradicted its own stand by filing a complaint against Oram.