The BJP unit on Friday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath demanding stringent action against the State’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mona Sharma and other concerned officials for suppressing the allegations against the ruling BJD in connection with the Kandhamal lok Sabha bypoll.
Party spokesperson Sameer Mohanty in a letter to the CEC said, “Despite our repeated requests for action against the Kandhamal Collector-cum-Returning Officer, SP, other officials responsible for the by-poll for helping the ruling BJD, the CEO did nothing rather acted as a BJD officer.”
The letter said that while the BJP raised allegation about the disbursement of pensions by the Collector just before five days of the election, the CEO did not take action. Further, many Ministers and BJD MlAs and senior leaders had stayed in Kandhamal while there was a strict instruction that all the political leaders will leave Kandhamal by 4 pm of October 13. The withdrawal of all check-posts in the district by the SP also violated model code of conduct. Similarly, the BJD leaders managed to keep Kandhamal district in dark on October 14 night just before the day of election and distributed money to voters.
“Though the party raised all the issues before the CEO, she, instead of taking action, showed her incapability and helplessness,” added the letter.