SAMBALPUR: Campaigning for the third phase General Elections ended on Sunday evening but in Sambalpur, supporters of candidates continued to defy the silence period and engaged in illicit methods like distribution of cash and liquor to allure voters.Even as security was tightened and police intensified patrolling in the city which has already been fortified for an incident-free elections on Tuesday, the activities continued unabated.
Though liquor shops and bars were sealed to ensure prohibition during the election period, on Sunday night, workers of various political parties approached voters in slums with cash and liquor pouches.At Orampara in Bareipalli, a tribal voter Lado Oram said, an agent of a party had come to his slum on Sunday night to supply liquor to the male voters while on Monday morning, another approached voters in the area for cash negotiation against votes.
He shared an instance that, a group in their locality have involved in scuffle with one of the member in the locality who happens to be broker of one of the party. As the candidate of the party had come to campaign on the last day, he had handed over some cash to the broker asking him to distribute it to the voters. However, as the broker held back all of it, the people have decided to withdraw their support to that candidate.
This apart, despite of ban on wine shops, intoxicated voters along the roads are being seen in the localities of Daldalipara, Mungapara and Talighat area. A women of Mungapada Malti Bibhar said, her husband was out for sometime in the afternoon and came back with few pouches of country liquor.