BHUBANESHWAR: The continuing face-off between the ruling BJD and BJP ahead of the panchayat polls intensified with both the political parties knocking the doors of the State Election Commission (SEC) again today accusing the other of violation of model code of conduct.
A BJD delegation led by former minister and spokesperson Rabi Narayan Nanda today drew the attention of the SEC to advertisements published in local Odia dailies on Tuesday on Atala Jyoti Yojana (AJAYA) which the party said are in gross violation of the model code of conduct for panchayat polls.
This is the third time BJD has come up with such a complaint before SEC, the memorandum submitted by the party said and added that inspite of such repeated complaints these advertisements continue to be published/telecast in the local newspapers and Odia TV channels though the model code of conduct imposed by the SEC for the panchayat polls is in force in Odisha.
"It is therefore requsted that immediate steps may be taken at your end to stop piblication/telecast of such advertisements which are being done in violation of the model code of conduct," the memorandum said.
BJD MP from Koraput Jhina Hikaka and state spokesperson of the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) Bijay Nayak accompanied Nanda.
A delegation from the BJP also met the state election commissioner (SEC) RN Senapati today and requested his intervention to stop violation of model code of conduct by the ruling BJD. The BJP demanded that voters list should be made available in all block offices as directed by the SEC in the last all political party meeting.
Though the SEC had directed that voters list should be made available at all the block offices, it yet to be done by the state government, the memorandum submitted by the BJP said and added that by this the BJD is trying to create difficulties for other opposition political parties.
Besides, though the model code of conduct is in force, the BJD is campaign on different schemes like Niramaya Yojana in all hospitals and Ahaar has photographs of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, it said and added that the SEC should initiate steps to take out such advertisements with the chief minister's photographs.
The BJP delegation comprised of state vice-president Samir Mohanty, state spokesperson Sajjan Sharma, state secretary Dillip Mallik, Lekhashree Samantsinhar and Bisnu Das.