The BJD on Friday alleged that employees and owners of all petrol pumps and gas agencies are being engaged in election campaign to woo voters in favour of the BJP during the panchayat elections at the behest of senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
A BJD delegation led by MlA Sashi Bhusan Behera met State Election Commissioner Rabi Narayan Senapaty and demanded to initiate prompt action against the concerned persons ad officials and the Odisha
heads of the companies responsible for such unethical acts.
“Utilising public service utilities like petrol pumps and gas agencies for motivating voters is an activity of criminal nature and amounts violation of the Model Code of Conduct imposed by the State Election Commission. The involvement of employees of these companies and agencies as well as the personal involvement of officials like P Bharat, GM, IOCl and others of the petroleum and gas companies operating in Odisha is highly objectionable and defeats the very purpose of holding free and fair elections in the State,” said Behera.
On the other hand, a team of BJP leaders headed by party spokesperson Sajjan Sharma met DGP KB Singh and demanded that the police behave neutrally and take prompt action against the BJD goons attacking the BJP workers and candidates.