Berhampur: Amid the ongoing first phase polling in state, Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Samir Mohanty alleged Thursday that rigging had occurred at several booths in Chikiti Assembly constituency under Berhampur Lok Sabha segment. He alleged that the ruling BJD was behind this. He also said that an agent of the party had been locked inside a booth for an extended period. Briefing the media, Mohanty said BJP poll agents were not allowed inside 18 booths in Berhampur.
“Although we had given the list of sensitive booths to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), no security measures had been adopted,” Mohanty told mediapersons. He added that the saffron party’s Chikiti Assembly candidate—Manoranjan Dyanasamantray—was assaulted at Jhatiapadar booth No. 42 by some of the local Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders.
It should be stated here that earlier, the CEO had said that no untoward incident had happened during the elections to the four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly segments. However, Mohanty’s statement seems to contradict what the CEO had earlier said.
