The administration on Thursday lodged an FIR at the Ranpur police station against BJD candidate for Ranpur Assembly constituency Rabi Narayan Mohapatra for violating the model code of conduct for elections.
According to reports, Mohapatra had big processions for his poll campaign at Chandpur on Tuesday, Gopalpur and Sunakhala on Wednesday and Ranpur on Thursday without taking the requisite permission from the election Returning Officer (RO). As per the rules of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a candidate should take permission from the RO at least 48 hours before conducting rallies or processions for poll campaign.
Nayagarh Sub-Collector-cum-RO Nrusingha Charan Swain directed Ranpur Block Development Officer (BDO) Gyanaranjan Bhanjadeo to lodge the FIR against the BJD candidate. Though the block administration delayed for long hours, he finally lodged the FIR after the RO’s repeated direction.