2nd Phase Panchayat Polls: Violence Stops Voting In Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur Again

Jagatsinghpur: Despite DGP’s assurance of ensuring peaceful polling in the second phase of three-tier panchayat elections, poll related violence was reported from the district.

According to sources, some miscreants created disturbance in the voting process in Patasara panchayat under zilla parishad zone I of Jagatsinghpur block.

While the voters had queued up in good number to exercise their franchise at booth number 1 and 2, the miscreants forcibly entered the room and created a ruckus. They ransacked the booths and damaged the polling materials and furniture at both places. They also took away the ballot box from booth 1.

On getting the information, senior officials of the district rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. As district collector Parul Patwari, additional collector Sachidanand Sahu, SP Akhileswar Singh, BDO Sagar Nand, tehsildar Anjali Tarai accompanied by other officials arrived at the spot, the miscreants fled.

The collector, who is the district election officer, issued an order to stop the voting process till normalcy was restored.

Speaking to the media, the SP said, “The agent of a candidate, Debasish Rout, came to the booth nearly 45 minutes. By the time, the ballot box had been sealed and voting started. The agent asked the presiding officer to reopen the ballot box and seal it again in his presence. When the presiding officer denied to do so, the agent and his associates misbehaved with him.”

He further said the agents and his men ransacked the booth and damaged the ballot box in one booth. Then they proceeded to the nearby booth from where they took away the ballot box.

The police have registered a case in this regard and following investigation, action will be taken against the people involved in the incident, he added.

On Thursday night, some miscreants had also stopped a police van and attacked the personnel going on patrolling at Raibarei village under Jagatsinghpur block.

It may be noted that the district had witnessed violent incidents in some parts during the polling for first phase of election on Wednesday.