BHUBANESWAR: Blame game between the ruling BJD and BJP over cash-for-vote in Dhamnagar bypoll continued with the former urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restrain BJP leaders from tarnishing the image and defaming the Mission Shakti members of Odisha by making baseless statements.
Four BJD MPs led by Sasmit Patra submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at New Delhi and sought ECI intervention to ensure that fake videos circulated against the Mission Shakti members are stopped.
The BJD leaders demanded that the Odisha BJP should be restrained from using media platforms to create a fear psychosis on the local administration by levelling concocted allegations so that it undertakes its work without fear or favour. There should be strong vigilance from the ECI to ensure that BJP leaders and workers do not succeed in influencing voters through money power, they also urged.
Alleging that after realising defeat of its candidate in the bypoll, the BJP has started pumping in cash to influence the voters, the BJD said in the past elections including the panchayat and urban local body polls huge cash was seized from BJP leaders.
Stating that fake and fictitious videos are being allegedly manufactured by BJP leaders and circulated in social media, BJD demanded that strong action should be taken against such type of activities. The BJD also alleged that making such false allegations by the BJP has become a pattern in every election.
The BJD moved the ECI a day after the BJP knocked its doors alleging inaction of the Chief Electoral Officer to check violation of model code of conduct by BJD and local officials in Dhamnagar.