BHUBANESWAR: As Rahul Gandhi has once again ignited the “match-fixing” fire against the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Maharashtra Assembly elections, the state Congress on Sunday joined voice alleging massive rigging of polls in 2024 general elections which led to the victory of BJP in both Assembly and Lok Sabha in Odisha.
Addressing a media conference here, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said not only in Maharashtra, elections were rigged in Odisha too. In the Assembly election, large-scale discrepancies were witnessed like increase of around five to 30 per cent votes polled after 5 pm. The number of votes were inflated, he alleged.
“Isn’t it surprising that the BJD which won 51 Assembly seats, drew a blank in the Lok Sabha? Doesn’t it raise questions on the fairness of electoral process in the state? A proper investigation should be conducted on the elections in Odisha,” he said.
Targeting the ECI for its silence on Odisha, Das announced that the Congress will announce a statewide agitation on the issue soon. He demanded that ECI publish the list of all voters who cast their votes in 2024 elections and also release the video footage of voters who cast their votes after 5 pm. The ECI should also provide the copy of form 17C to the candidates which gives the total number of voters in a polling station.
Das also alleged that former chief electoral officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal during 2024 polls was moved to the chief minister’s office (CMO) after BJP came to power, and has now been posted as the secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. He has been rewarded for his services, the OPCC chief stated.