Odisha Polls: MLA Threatening Voters Of Withdrawing Welfare Schemes For Not Voting BJD, Alleges BJP

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Attabira MLA Snehangini Chhuria of threatening the voters of withdrawing government benefits if they did not vote for BJD.

Speaking to media persons after submitting a complaint in this regard to chief electoral officer (CEO) on Thursday, BJP’s Odisha vice-president Golak Mohapatra said Chhuria, a former minister, had told at an election meeting during campaigning for ensuing simultaneous polls that they would know in whose favour the voters would cast their votes.

Chhuria had said the voters of the constituency, who would not press the EVM button with Conch symbol of BJD, would be deprived of the benefits of the state government’s all welfare schemes, Mohapatra alleged.

Stating that it was a clear violation of the model code of conduct, the BJP leader demanded before the CEO to stop the campaigning by Chhuria under Section 123 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951. The Act not only imposes restrictions on corrupt practices in the elections, but also deals with restrictions on political speech of candidates, he added.

“If the chief electoral officer fails to take any action on our complaint, we will be constrained to sit on a dharna in front of its office,” Mohapatra said.