Bhubaneswar: Violence returned once more Thursday to haunt the elections like it happened during the panchayat polls in February. The violence left quite a few people injured, some seriously.
Miscreants stabbed a youth in front of a booth in Ward No. 9 of Dhamnagar Notified Area Council (NAC) in Bhadrak district, leaving him critically injured. The victim identified as Ramesh Lenka (28) and a BJP supporter was stabbed multiple times. Police rescued the injured Ramesh and rushed him to the Bhadrak district headquarters hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. Locals staged a roadblock demanding the arrest of the accused.
In another incident at Kolpada in Bolangir district, BJP workers assaulted Patnagarh MLA Saroj Meher’s brother Pradeep for allegedly distributing money to influence voters. Pradeep was rescued by BJD workers who took him to the hospital for treatment.
In Nayagarh, independent candidate Arati Pradhan’s husband and his associate attacked Khandapada block vice-chairman Sisir Sahu in front of a booth at Khandapada Women’s College. After Sahu filed a complaint, police have started a probe into the incident.
In another incident at Chikiti Notified Area Council (NAC) in Ganjam district three BJP workers sustained injuries and several vehicles were ransacked when more than 200 BJD workers allegedly barged into the Chikiti NAC chairperson candidate Pushpanjali Sethi’s house and went on a rampage.
Clashes also erupted between Congress and BJD workers at Booth no-III set up at Jhankarpada School in Kantabanjhi NAC in Bolangir district. Two BJD leaders – Pinki Kharsel and Bolangir district secretary Firoz Khan were injured in the scuffle.
Similarly, at booth no-IX in Ward No VII of Pipili NAC in Puri district, a BJP agent was attacked by the workers of a rival party. The seriously injured agent has been admitted to the Pipili government hospital.
Meanwhile, polling in various wards of the capital city concluded peacefully barring few sporadic incidents of brawl and heated arguments between different groups at few places. Sources claimed a few incidents of tensions were reported at different polling booths in Jharapada, Gadakana, Gothapatana Rasulgarh and Tamando.
“No incidences of violence were reported from any part of the city and polling passed off peacefully in the city,” DCP Umashankar Dash told Orissa POST.
PNN
