BHUBANESWAR: As elections came to an end in Odisha with the fourth phase polling, BJD on Monday alleged rigging and booth capturing in several places in Jajpur, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj Parliamentary constituencies by rival BJP ‘goons’ and demanded immediate action against the accused.
In a memorandum to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar, a BJD delegation comprising spokespersons Sasmit Patra, Sulata Deo and Lenin Mohanty alleged that BJP goons captured 12 booths in Bari Assembly constituency under Jajpur Lok Sabha seat while polling was underway. BJD supporters were threatened, chased away and not allowed to cast their votes, they alleged.
The memorandum listed 12 booths - Ramachandrapur, Alipur-1 and 2, Badachandrasekharpur, two booths in Bari Panchayat High School, Krupasindhu Bidyabhavan Bari, three booths in Bari Urdu UGME school and two booths in Udayanathpur Prakalpa Bidyalaya which were captured by BJP goons for rigging.
Alleging that BJP candidate from Bari segment Biswa Ranjan Mallick was involved in booth capturing as his brother Soumya Ranjan Mallick was seen threatening and chasing away voters, the BJD delegation demanded immediate and impartial action against the culprits. They also sought to ensure that those who were chased away from booths are allowed to vote.
In a separate memorandum, the BJD delegation alleged that a senior citizen in Bakhtarpur was forced to vote for BJP candidate. It stated that though BJP goons threatened voters in booth number 204 of Chachina gram panchayat in Jajpur Assembly seat, no action was taken against the culprits. The BJD election agent was removed from a booth in Bhandaripokhari Assembly seat, they said and added that no action was taken even as hundreds of such instances were reported.
It demanded action against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his post on Twitter during the silence period, soliciting votes for the party by violating the Model Code of Conduct. BJD also demanded action against BJP candidate from Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat Baijayant Panda for similar violation of the MCC.