Bhubaneswar: Even as polling in the Nuapada Assembly by-election picked up pace through the morning, with 51 per cent voter turnout by 1 am, the BJD on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
In a letter to the District Election Officer-cum-District Collector, Nuapada, the regional party complained about illegal distribution of food by BJP workers near several polling booths in the Assembly constituency. “BJP workers have set up temporary tiffin distribution counters and are distributing free tiffin to voters queuing up to cast their votes,” the letter said.
The BJD noted that this was in violation of the MCC Clause 2(vii), which clearly states no hospitality/food to voters by candidate/party agents.
Later addressing a presser, BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty said that the BJP workers have total disregard for rules and restrictions. “The BJP workers entered polling booths and were seen intimidating and pressuring electors to cast their votes for its candidate Jay Dholakia, at booths 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, and 15 in Khariar Road NAC,” he claimed, further alleging that the government officials are turning a blind eye to these violations.
He further stated that stalls have been put up near most polling booths, offering tiffin packets to voters while urging them to vote for Dholakia in clear violation of the election rules.
BJD’s Nuapada district president, Abani Joshi, has submitted a complaint to the District Election Officer, demanding immediate action, he added.
The Conch party has also lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha, seeking his immediate intervention to ensure free and fair poll.
Taking to her X handle, BJD leader Lekha Samantsinghar also alleged that the BJP agents and presiding officers of several booths were caught distributing ‘chirkuts’ (slips), containing coloured pictures of Narendra Modi, Mohan Majhi and BJP candidate, to the voters. “This is a clear proof of influencing the voters, vitiating electoral process and illegal act on the part of electoral officials….voting should be stopped immediately and election scrapped since the process is clearly rigged. Fresh elections may be held. Also the presiding officers who have allowed this should be suspended immediately,” she demanded.
Terming these actions as a threat to democracy, the BJD called for strict measures, and expressed faith that Nuapada’s voters would reject the BJP’s tactics in this crucial bye-election.
The Assembly constituency is witnessing a triangular contest between Jay Dholakia (BJP), Snehangini Chhuria (BJD) and Ghasiram Majhi (Congress).
On Monday, BJD president Naveen Patnaik had also alleged serious violations during the mandatory silence period and sought immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India (ECI). “Despite clear ECI guidelines requiring all political leaders and campaigners from outside the constituency to leave once the silence period begins, several BJP leaders from outside are moving around in Nuapada and attempting to influence voters through unfair means,” he noted.
He further stated that local BJD leaders raising objections were detained by the police, pointing to partisan conduct by the administration and police. “Such actions strike at the very foundation of democratic fairness and erode public faith in free and fair elections,” Naveen added.
