Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and party’s Patkura assembly seat candidate Bijoy Mohapatra, Thursday, slammed the state government and its officials for misguiding the Election Commission (EC) about cyclone Fani which has delayed elections in the area.
Mohapatra said that while a delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) met the Election Commission of India (ECI) and asked them to postpone the elections at Patkura in the Kendrapara district citing the likely devastations the cyclone could do to the area.
Mohapatra said that Kendrapara did not see major devastation like Puri and Khurda district and there was no reason for delaying the elections in the area but it has been delayed as the state government officials misguided the election panel on the levels of devastations in the area.
“Kendrapara did not see major devastation like Puri or Khurda district and there was no reason to delay the elections for a longer period as there was no natural disaster emergency in the area now which could affect the elections,” Mohapatra said.
Mohapatra also said that Election Commission assessed the situation in the area through state government officials who gave a complete wrong and biased picture of the constituency which mislead the Election Commission in shifting the dates. The BJP leader claimed that there is no major disastrous situation prevailing in Patkura like vulnerable districts of Puri and Khurda.
The BJD meanwhile also fired a salvo against Mohapatra for allegedly attacking the poll panel. “The Election Commission took the decision after getting reports from the state government, central government and also from their own assessment on the ground. Any individual alone can’t speak about the levels of damage from the cyclone,” BJD leader Surya Narayan Patro said.
The BJP, now, seems to be trying to impress upon the Election Commission to ensure the elections in Patkura are held sooner as delays could hinder the elections in the areas and can put the constituency on tenterhooks. The BJD meanwhile seems to try and delay the polling in the area which can give it ample time to focus on the seat with full strength.
