Alleging an unholy alliance between the State Government officials in charge of election and some political leaders, particularly from the ruling BJD, the State BJP, on Monday, questioned the role of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the entire management of election affairs.
Addressing a Press conference here, party spokesperson Samir Mohanty said that the BJP had already informed the Chief Election Commission through the CEO about the ‘unholy nexus” in the management of the just concluded general elections to the lok Sabha and the State Assembly polling which was concluded on April17 last.
He demanded that the election panel must take stock of the Odisha election management affairs and initiate exemplary punishment against those found involved in the illegality and violation of election guidelines.
Alleging that the ‘role of CEO is doubtful’ in the election management, Mohanty said that the nexus and conspiracy had been exposed in a series of incidents. He said the impact of the unholy alliance was reflected during the election at Baripada, Ghasipura, Dharmasala and Mahakalpada. Mohanty said the officials joined the nexus with the hope that the BJD would return to power in the coming elections and they would be awarded with prize postings for showing favour to the party in the elections. The BJP leader said even though the party submitted detailed facts about the mismanagement in polling with evidence, no action was taken on these issues.
BJP accuses CEO of ‘unholy alliance’ with State Govt
Giving details of how sanctity of poll process was vitiated, Mohanty said that in the incident of seizure of EVMs from a vehicle from Marshaghai BDO Sushanta Pati, the CEO took no action against the errant officer though the Kendrapada Collector, who is the District Election Officer, in his report had recommended disciplinary action against Pati.
The CEO, on the other hand, preferred to remain silent without initiating any action. Instead, an FIR had been registered against a large number of local people who protested the illegal action of the BDO, Mohanty rued.
Taking on CEO Mona Sharma for engaging Mayurbhanj district Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil, who had been indicted by the Supreme Court for vitiating the elections during 2009 as Sub-Collector Athgarah, in the election management, Mohanty said the posting was also contrary to the mandate of the Election Commission of India.
Under such a tainted officer, the poll process was bound to be messy, he said, alleging that EVM tampering was massive in Baripada.
This was exposed from the fact that he was instrumental in movement of some EVMs stacked in the Baripada Municipality office at dead of night. He also said that in Keonjhar, while the BJP candidate in Ghasipura Assembly constituency had reported the District Collector about 84 polling stations as vulnerable, no action was taken to ensure free and fair polls. Even the ruling party leaders removed the BJP polling agents from at least 40 booths and resorted to large-scale rigging in favour of the ruling party candidates, Mohanty said.
Mohanty also alleged that no action was taken by the Bhadrak Collector to ensure free and fair polls in 20 vulnerable booths against which the BJP candidate had also drawn the attention of the CEO. He also alleged that there was large-scale rigging in most of the booths in Dharmasala and Badachana Assembly segments under Jajpur lok Sabha constituency where also the BJP polling agents were forcefully removed from the polling stations. The polling booth 69 was a bright example of rigging against which BJP candidate Simantini Jena gave a written complaint, he said.