Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Sunday filed a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its candidate Jay Dholakia, in the upcoming Nuapada Assembly bye-election.
A delegation of senior BJD leaders, including Lenin Mohanty, Sumitra Jena, Mihir Ray and others, submitted a detailed memorandum to Deputy CEO (DCEO) Laxmi Prasad Sahu, outlining the nature of the violation. Besides, they alleged that BJP violated Model Code of Conduct by holding a political meeting October 25, under the guise of ‘Subhadra Shakti Samabesh’ – a government beneficiaries’ programme. The event, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and other BJP leaders, allegedly promoted party using government resources. BJD urged CEO to take immediate cognizance of the violation, institute an impartial inquiry into the use of government beneficiaries, officials or resources in organising the event and initiate strict action against those responsible.
The party also requested that directions be issued to all political parties and administrative authorities to prevent the recurrence of such misuse during the ongoing bye-election. Speaking to the media after submitting the memorandum, Jena said, “The party has no right to conduct a government programme in an election-bound region. Besides, the attendance of the Deputy CM in the programme should also be questioned. We demand a stringent probe into the matter. It is not ethical to conduct such programmes during an election to gain voters”.
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