The ruling BJD on Thursday protested against the publication of a full-page advertisement in local dailies highlighting the achievements of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre under its 20-point programme in various sectors while the election process to 22 urban local bodies (UlBs) in nine districts of western Odisha is in progress.
Dubbing it as violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in view of the upcoming UlB polls, BJD General Secretary Narendra Swain and three party legislators of Bhubaneswar - Ashok Chadra Panda, Bijoy Mohanty and Bhagiratahi Badajena – submitted a memorandum to the State Election Commission (SEC) and urged it to take appropriate action against the UPA Government at the Centre.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the BJD leaders said, “The Congress is trying to influence the voters of the western Odisha.”
During the phase-I of the UlB polls also, the UPA Government had resorted to similar tactic, they alleged. “Besides, the advertisement with the photograph of Union Minister Srikant Jena was published under pressure from the State Congress leaders,” they said.