Bhadrak: A video of two candidates of the ruling party distributing cash to woo local voters ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in Chandabali block of Bhadrak district has been going viral on social media.
The video, uploaded on social media, has been going viral and is being shared on all platforms.
A source said that the two contestants can be seen distributing cash in the purported video. One of them has been identified as Rakesh Kumar Nayak aka Prince. He is supposedly the Zilla Parishad candidate of the ruling party.
In the viral video, Nayak can be seen giving cash to an elderly person during electioneering of the party. The source added saying that BJD supported sarpanch candidate Abhimanyu Jena was also present during the poll campaign while the cash was being distributed.
“Two of the BJD supported candidates, Nayak and Jena were distributing cash to woo villagers to cast their votes in favour of them in the upcoming three-tier polls of local-self bodies,” a voter said.
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On the other hand, the Zilla Parishad candidate Nayak refuted the charge and said, “I am not involved in any kind of unfair act like distributing cash to the local voters. The charge framed against me is entirely untrue and designed to tarnish my image and popularity.”
Meanwhile, electioneering for the upcoming polls of local-self bodies has intensified across the state to obtain people’s mandate. Some candidates have been adopting innovative ways to attract voters.
It is pertinent to mention here that a woman sarpanch candidate named Bhagabati Bhatra in Patri panchayat under Papadahandi block in Nabarangpur district is being seen trying to persuade voters by holding a big fish in her hand during her door-to-door campaign.
Independent candidate Bhatra was allotted fish as her election symbol by the State Election Commission-Odisha. Hence, she is holding the fish in hand while campaigning to attract voters to obtain votes.
PNN
