BHUBANESWAR: A day ahead of the by-election to the Nuapada Assembly constituency, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday alleged serious violations during the mandatory silence period and sought immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Naveen said ministers, MLAs and leaders of the BJP from outside Nuapada were freely moving around and attempting to influence voters through unfair means during the silence period, in violation of the ECI guidelines.
“When local BJD leaders objected to these activities, they were detained by the police. This clearly suggests that the district administration and local police are acting in a partisan manner, serving the interests of the ruling party rather than upholding electoral neutrality,” he added.
The leader of the Opposition further said this undermined public faith in the electoral process, and urged the ECI to ensure the BJP leaders vacate the constituency as per norms.
He also demanded that the ECI should direct the district administration and police to act impartially and uphold the sanctity of the election process. They should be asked to keep a close watch on the list of booths given by BJD and other opposition parties as sensitive and vulnerable for manipulation by the BJP.