BJD candidate and law Minister Maheswar Mohanty was served with the first notice for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Returning Officer on Wednesday. The notice asked the Minister to account for the lapses within 48 hours.
The notice was served following complaints filed with the Returning Officer that during BJD election campaign on the Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of electors were entertained with food in two locations of the city to vote for BJD candidate Mohanty.
Returning Officer Madhusudan Dash sent four poll observers along with armed police and a magistrate to Telipadia Kalyan Mandap in Balisahi and Greenland Kalyan Mandap at Matiapada. They witnessed presence of local BJD workers while hundreds of voters were being served food in these two sites. Banners of BJD candidate Mohanty were on display urging the electorates to vote for Mohanty.
Video recording was made and the footages of all arrangements including banners of BJD candidate Mohanty from the two sites were submitted to the Returning Officer.
Observers estimated that Rs 25,000 was spent in Greenland Kalyan Mandap of Matiapada while Rs 10,000 was spent at Telipadia to entertain the electors with food. The matter was intimated to the State CEO.
The 48-hour notice asked the BJD nominee to file his reply as to why he did not obtain permission from the competent authorities for such congregation and why the expenses should not be included in his poll expenses account. After getting reply from Mohanty, further actions would be taken against him, said Returning Officer Dash.