Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to hit the campaign trail in Bijepur from tomorrow

On the first day his campaign, the chief minister will address a public meeting at Barpali from where he will proceed to Kumari village in the block by attending road shows along the way.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik (File Photo)
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik (File Photo)

BHUBANESHWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will hit the campaign trail for the Bijepur by-poll from tomorrow even as the BJP has decided to field union minister Smriti Irani to counter him.

On the first day his campaign, the chief minister will address a public meeting at Barpali from where he will proceed to Kumari village in the block by attending road shows along the way. He will proceed to Agalpur from Kumari, Rajya Sabha MP and BJD's in-charge for the by-poll Prasanna Acharya said and added that the chief minister will night halt at Bargarh after the first day's campaign.

The chief minister will address two public meetings at Gaisilet and Bijepur on the second day of the campaign. There will be no road shows on the second day, Acharya said.

Meanwhile, the BJD today demanded that legal action should be taken against the  BJP for non-submission of election expenditure. 

In a memorandum submitted to the chief electoral officer (CEO), general secretary Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi alleged that the BJP is not submitting the daily election expenditure. 

Besides, the party's election expenditure is also not being assessed by the expenditure observer or any authorised officer.

The memorandum also alleged that the BJP workers are putting mehendi of lotus symbol (the party's symbol) on the palms of the women voters of the constituency and alluring them to show their palms to other electorates for rewards.

Alleging that such action of BJP workers is violation of the model code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the BJD requested the CEO to verify these facts and take necessary action.

In a separate memorandum, the BJD alleged that the BJP is promising to deposit `35,000 in the bank accounts of individual voters who will vote for its candidate in the by-poll. 

The regional outfit alleged that the BJP has collected bank account numbers of 35,000 voters and promised that money will be transferred these accounts just before the poll. Certain public sector undertakings of government of India have been asked by BJP to transfer money out of their CSR fund for this purpose, it added.

The BJD demanded that observers appointed by the ECI should keep a vigil on this illegal money trail which if not prevented will affect holding of a free and fair poll.

The Congress, which is fighting to retain the seat, today demanded that the inquiry report on the seizure of Rs 41.5 lakh at Mahulpali check gate should be made public. In a statement general secretary of the Odisha Pradesh Congress

Committee (OPCC) Biswaranjan Mohanty said the administration has also not made public the owner of Rs 3.2 lakh seized from two vehicles in Talpali panchayat of Gaisilet block on Wednesday last.

Alleging that both the BJD and BJP are blatantly violating model of code of conduct during campaign, Mohanty though many instances have been brought to the notice of the local administration, no action has been taken.

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