BJD Bays For Baijayant’s Blood Ahead Of Kendrapara Polls

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday moved Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar and demanded cancellation of the candidature of BJP leader Baijayant Panda since he had cheated the people of Kendrapara with a false affidavit while filing his nomination in 2014.

In a letter to the CEO here, the regional party maintained that Baijayant’s 2019 affidavit has proven that he had filed a false affidavit in 2014 elections and cheated the voters of Kendrapara and therefore his candidature should be cancelled forthwith. Kendrapara goes to polls in the last phase on April 29.

“A man who has a pending false affidavit, criminal case as well as conclusively proven by his own admittance that his 2014 election affidavit being false, should never be allowed to again cheat and hoodwink the people of the Kendrapara again,” the letter said.

The party had last Friday accused Baijayant of violating the Representation of People’s Act (RPA), 1951, by filing a false election affidavit in the 2014 elections, wherein he had deliberately suppressed his role in and compensation from his family business, which has now been proven from his affidavit filed for the 2019 elections.

“In the 2014 election affidavit, under the section of profession or occupation, Baijayant had mentioned about himself as sitting MP of Lok Sabha. But there is no mention about his business interests and role as vice-chairman of a mining company, IMFA. However, taking note of the complaint and condemnation of the willful suppression of his role in compensation from his family’s business, he was forced to mention it in his 2019 election affidavit,” BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra had said.

In his affidavit for the 2019 elections, Patra added, Baijayant mentioned about his appointment as vice-chairman of IMFA for a period of three years from October 28, 2018, with a monthly remuneration of Rs 17 lakh (which amounts to more than Rs 2 crore annually), pre-requisites and managerial commission. Besides, as per the annual report of 2013-14 and 2014-15 of IMFA, he has mentioned himself as the vice-chairman of IMFA, drawing an annual salary of 1.04 crore.

This clearly proves that Baijayant had cheated the people of Kendrapara. Since he is again contesting from this Lok Sabha seat, the people will now question this breach of trust in 2014, he had pointed out.