Odisha Elections 2024: BJD Moves ECI Seeking Action Against BJP For Publishing Chargesheet

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) accusing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of Odisha of having violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by publishing and circulating a chargesheet against the Odisha government ahead of the upcoming polls.

In a petition addressed to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, BJD leaders demanded punitive action against Odisha BJP leaders for publishing and circulating the chargesheet.

In their petition, they alleged that baseless allegations have been made in the chargesheet released by Odisha BJP against the BJD government in the state. “It contains malicious and defamatory content without any evidence,” the petition said.

Terming it as an attempt to tarnish the image of BJD leaders, the petition claimed that the chargesheet published by BJP is violative of ECI’s Model Code of Conduct – Section I, sub-section-2 as well as Section 123 of the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Demanding immediate action against those who have published the chargesheet, the petition sought steps to halt the circulation of this document.