Patkura Assembly Seat: BJP, BJD Wrangle Over Postponement Of Polls

Bhubaneswar: Politics over postponement of elections to Patkura Assembly seat under Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency has intensified with the BJD and its rival BJP engaging in war of words on Thursday.

Speaking to mediapersons, senior BJP leader and MLA candidate from Patkura Bijoy Mohapatra alleged that the BJD had submitted false information to Election Commission of India (ECI) on basis of which it decided to postpone the election by two months.

The election to Patkura Assembly was scheduled in the fourth-phase polls in the state. It was adjourned following the demise of the BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla and the ECI then rescheduled it to May 19.

“In an attempt to delay polls, the BJD came up with a plea that the cyclone Fani had caused intensive damage in Kendrapara and pleaded with the ECI to further postpone the polls. Going by the post-cyclone situation, damage in Patkura has been minimal compared to the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack,” Mohapatra said.

Maintaining that the BJD wanted the polls to be deferred for vested political interest, the BJP leader challenged the regional party to make the report (submitted to the ECI) public.

Commenting on his statement, senior BJD leader Surya Narayan Patro said the people of Odisha are aware of the forecast made by the national and overseas Met agencies about Cyclone Fani and the damage it inflicted in the coastal districts of Odisha.

“Considering the predicted intensity of the severe cyclonic storm, the Chief Minister had urged the ECI to postpone the Patkura polls to ensure the safety of the people. There was no hidden political agenda in postponement of the polls and people of the state are aware of it,” he noted.