MALKANGIRI: The Biju Janata Dal has come under scathing attack from the Opposition and been accused of ‘murdering democracy' by influencing voters, after visuals of a ruling party member distributing cash to voters in Zilla Parishad Zone -III area of Kalimela block went viral on Monday.
In the video, the BJD district unit senior adviser Rajendra Kumar Panda was seen distributing cash to women at an election campaign meeting in Tatiguda village under Gumka panchayat limits, in presence of other party leaders.
The entire incident was captured on camera by some onlookers in the village on Sunday. Sharing the video clip with the Collector and seeking action against the ruling party members involved, BJP leader and former Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi said,” BJD leader Rajendra Kumar Panda has been caught distributing cash in open in the meeting. People are seeing all this and will teach a lesson to the party.”
Majhi also sought cancellation of the candidature of the BJD’s nominee Pati Tapabana Baidya from Kalimela block ZP Zone-III.
On the other hand, former MLA and Congress leader Bhujabal Majhi has alleged that government employees are campaigning for ruling BJD in violation of the model code of conduct. As per Majhi’s claims, a primary school teacher, CHC doctor, and assistant sub-inspector of Kartanpali outpost were campaigning for the ruling party in Mathili.
However, BJD leader Rajendra Kumar Panda said he was handing over cash to the women as per the tribal tradition after they greeted them. Commenting on allegations of government staff campaigning for BJD, Sub-Collector and Zilla Parishad election officer Akshya Kumar Khemudu said he is not aware of the issue and no formal complaint has been received in this regard. “Once we receive a formal complaint, inquiry will be conducted and action taken as per law,” he added.
Audio clip adds to intra-party rift in BJD
Jagatsinghpur: Internal rift within the BJD in Jagatsinghpur district has resurfaced with Anantapur sarpanch Ramesh Paital sharing an audio clip on the party’s irregularities in candidate selection for the rural elections, on Sunday.
The clip revealed a conversation, purportedly between the president of Balikuda BJD unit Ratnakar Nayak and Paital against local MLA cum Water Resources Minister Raghunandan Das and his monopoly in selecting candidates for the panchayat polls.
Last month, Minister Das had reportedly ‘forced’ aspiring BJD candidates in Balikuda block to take a vow not to go against any party nominee after selection by the committee. Sources said Paital, who was a BJD aspirant for the Zilla Parishad member post, was ignored by the Minister and denied a party ticket, forcing him to contest as an Independent.
Paital was suspended for his anti-party activities. This apparently led Paital to leak the audio clip. “I was suspended without any show-cause notice which is illegal,” he said. However, Nayak has rubbished the claims and termed the clip ‘fake’.