New Delhi: A five-member BJP delegation visited the Election Commission of India (ECI) office Tuesday and complained about the gross misuse of public funds for the Bijepur by-elections by the BJD-led state government.
Five senior BJP leaders, Rajya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav, General Secretary Arun Singh, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, spokesperson Sambit Patra and senior leader Om Prakash Pathak met ECI officials and submitted their complaint to them.
After the meeting BJP General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav told newsmen, “This is the first time that without budgetary approval and any accountability public funds are being used for the Bijepur by-elections. With the involvement of the CM’s Personal Secretary and the DM, SP and BDO of the district Rs 1,500 crore is being used to contest the polls.”
He also added that they named the officials in their complaint before the ECI, including a secretary rank official from the CMO, and their actions were discussed with the ECI.
He said, “This election can be fair only if micro observers are sent to each booth and the paramilitary deployed in such a manner that people do not vote in fear. We hope the ECI will ensure a free election in Bijepur.”
Reacting, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya said, “This is a case of fear of defeat. The allegations are baseless. Whatever development and other works are being done in the state are as per prescribed laws and in no place rules have been violated. If they have any proof they are free to give it to any forum. Before the election campaign the BJP has started a slur campaign.”
FILING OF NOMINATIONS FOR BIJEPUR BY-POLL BEGINS
Bhubaneswar: The process of filing nominations for the Bijepur Assembly by-poll began here, after a gazette notification was issued by the Election Commission Tuesday.
The by-poll is being considered as an acid test for the three major political parties in the state –the BJD, the BJP and the Congress—ahead of the Assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections, due next year.
Voting for the by-poll in Bijepur, which was necessitated after the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August 2017, is scheduled for February 24.
The filing of nominations would continue till February 6, state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) DN Gupta said. The scrutiny of nomination papers would be held on February 7 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 9, he said. Counting of votes is scheduled to be held February 28. While the BJD and the BJP have declared candidates, the Congress has not announced its nominee although Bijepur was its bastion once.
The ruling BJD has fielded Rita Sahu, the wife of late Subal Sahu and the BJP has announced Ashok Panigrahi as its party candidate.
The Congress has constituted a committee, headed by veteran leader and former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal, to select its candidate.
Arrangements have been made for the use of VVPAT (Voter-verified Paper Audit Trail) machine along with EVMs during the by-poll, a senior official said. All booths in Bijepur will have VVPAT, which will release paper slips for the voters. That will act as a receipt and confirm the symbol for which they have voted for, he said.
PNN
