Ahead of the November 11 Nuapada bypoll, former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Das President Naveen Patnaik on Monday hit out at the BJP-led State Government, alleging that MLAs and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from outside Nuapada are freely moving around and attempting to influence voters through unfair means.
Taking to a social media platform, Patnaik, whose party is waging a tough electoral battle against the ruling BJP and the Congress to retain the Assembly seat, charged that “serious violations are taking place during the legally mandated silence period — 36 hours before polling”.
“The hallmark of a true democracy lies in the conduct of free and fair elections. As per the Election Commission’s guidelines, political leaders and campaigners from outside the constituency are required to leave the area once the silence period begins. Contrary to this, we have reliable information that ministers, MLAs, and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from outside Nuapada are freely moving around and attempting to influence voters through unfair means”.
”Disturbingly, when local BJD leaders have objected to these activities, they have been detained by the police. This clearly suggests that the district administration and local police are acting in a partisan manner, serving the interests of the ruling party rather than upholding electoral neutrality,” he added in the post.
Alleging that this situation strikes at the very core of democratic fairness and undermines public faith in the electoral process, he claimed that such actions, if allowed to continue, will cast a serious shadow on the integrity of the polls in Nuapada.
Patnaik urged the Election Commission of India to enforce the 36-hour silence period strictly and ensure that Ministers, MLAs, and leaders of the BJP from outside vacate the constituency as per norms.
He further appealed to the ECI to direct the district administration and police to act impartially and uphold the sanctity of the election process.
The ECI should immediately intervene to keep a close watch on the list of booths given by BJD and other opposition parties as sensitive and vulnerable for manipulation by the BJP.
”The people of India have inherited this democracy through the sacrifices of our forefathers, and it is the duty of every institution — especially the Election Commission — to protect it from erosion. We seek your urgent action to preserve the credibility of this election,” Patnaik added.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer R N Gopalan on Monday dismissed allegations of a political party regarding the truckload of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being covertly ferried from Ganjam district to Nuapada ahead of the byelection on Tuesday.
Gopalan, briefing reporters, claimed that it was ‘impossible’ to transport EVMs from one district to another.
The EVMs are locally sourced from the warehouses in each district. The warehouses are guarded by policemen, and CCTV is installed to thwart any act of manipulation, he concluded.