No-Trust Vote Against Kirmira Block Chairperson In Odisha Called Off; BJD Stages Protest

Jharsuguda: Voting for the crucial no-confidence motion against Kirmira Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Krushnapriya Sahu was called off on Friday as none of the sarpanchs or samiti members turned up at the venue in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district.

Elaborate arrangements were made with three platoons of police force being deployed at the venue, where voting was to begin at 10.30 am. The official arrived at the voting centre around 10 am but left after waiting for an hour, sources said.

Following which, BJD workers under the leadership of former BJD MLA from Jharsuguda Deepali Das staged a demonstration in front of the district collector’s office, accusing police of obstructing the voting process through unethical and undemocratic means.

She further alleged that her brother, Bishal Das, and several Panchayat Samiti members from Jharsuguda district were detained in Chhattisgarh last night without due legal procedure to sabotage the no-confidence motion.

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Bishal, a BJD leader and the son of the late cabinet minister Naba Kishore Das, along with several Samiti members and a village Sarpanch was taken into custody by Saraipali police in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district late on Thursday.

This came to the fore after a social media video surfaced in which Bishal was seen appealing to Odisha government and DGP to intervene and ensure their release. “We were detained just hours before the no-confidence voting. It seems to be a conspiracy against us,” said Bishal, whose hotel was searched on Thursday.

Chhattisgarh police have not yet cited the reasons for Bishal’s detention or any charges against him.