‘Money distributed in police presence’
The Congress on Wednesday accused the ruling BJD of adopting unfair means to ensure its candidates’ victory in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held on Wednesday.
“The BJD resorted to hooliganism, distributed wine and money in presence of police and brought fake voters from Andhra Pradesh to vote in favour of its candidates,” PCC president Jayadev Jena alleged.
The party alleged that two of their supporters, one each of Ward-6 and Ward-48, were detained illegally.
The BJD’s unlawful activities were evident from the fact that two of about 500 Andhra Pradesh people, who were brought to vote for its candidate in Ward-56, were arrested on the complaints of the Congress, the BJP and other political parties, Jena said.
Jena also alleged that while one presiding officer forced people to vote for the BJD candidate at the Shailashree Vihar Sishu Mandir booth, another allowed people to vote without voter’s identity cards in Ward-46.
BJD leaders distributed money with help of police in Ward-41 and Ward-9, he also alleged. Giving many such examples, the PCC president said, “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik resorted to all undemocratic means to make his candidates win in the polls.”