JAGATSINGHPUR: A BJD-backed sarpanch candidate and seven of his supporters were arrested by the Tirtol police on Monday for allegedly attacking the car of veteran politician and former Minister Damodar Rout.
On Sunday afternoon, Rout was on way home after campaigning for rebel BJD candidates when his vehicle was detained by sarpanch nominee from Sailo panchayat Saroj Sethy with his supporters in tow. They reportedly heckled Rout and attacked his car. Rout escaped unhurt but his vehicle was damaged.
Following the incident, Rout lodged an FIR with Tirtol police and also approached Kujang block development officer (BDO) and election officer Soumyshree Panigrahai to take action against errant Sethy. Tirtol IIC Sabyasachi Rout said basing on the senior leader’s complaint, police registered a case and arrested sarpanch candidate Sethy and his seven associates. All the accused were produced in court.
Sources said, Sethy has been fielded by BJD leader and former MLA Debasish Samantaray who is Rout’s arch-rival. To settle scores with Samantray, Rout is campaigning for candidates supported by his son and local MLA Sambit Routray.
Rout has intensified campaign against candidates fielded by Samantaray in Garei, Sailo and other panchayats. Last week, he and his supporters participated in roadshows and campaigned for sarpanch candidate Diptirekha Lenka and panchayat samiti member nominee Ambika Biswal in Garei. Lenka and Biswal have been fielded by Routray.
In Sailo panchayat, Rout is backing Sisir Das, a rival of Sethy for the sarpanch post. Sources said irked by the senior leader’s activities, the candidates fielded by Samantaray were apparently nursing a grudge against him.
Sethy alleged that after resigning from BJP, Rout is on a mission to defeat BJD-backed candidates in panchayat elections. “When he campaigned in Sailo in favor of rival candidates, my supporters restricted him. But he lodged a false case against us.”