Campaigning for Bijepur By-poll ends

0

KalingaTV News Network

Bargarh: Amid serious allegations and counter allegations from top political parties, the high voltage election campaign for Bijepur by-poll ended today. The election will be held on February 24.

Earlier on the day, Union Minister Dhrmendra Pradhan , who spearheaded the campaign for BJP candidate, called a press meet here and alleged “ Odisha Chief Minister’s Private Secretary VK Pandian and senior officials of CMO  have sent as many as 100 State government officials to Bijepur on special leave to help the BJD in the by-poll.”

Pradhan and other senior BJP leaders also approached the Chief Electoral Officer to keep out Labour Minister Sushant Singh of Bijepur area, apprehending that he might create disturbance during the poll.

Responding to the saffron allegations, BJD MP and party vice-president Prasanna Acharya also called a press meet and said, “The Petroleum Minister violated the code of conduct and forcefully shut a petrol pump, owned by a BJD worker, in Bijepur .”

Later, senior Congress leader Srikant Jena, in a press meet, alleged that both BJD and BJP have been using their black money in the by-poll.

Meanwhile, District Collector Yamini Sarangi informed that as many as 155 polling booths out of 281 have been identified as sensitive voting booths and 20 booths among those will be covered with CCTV surveillance for the by-poll.

Adequate security arrangements were made for the free and fair election, she added.

BJD has fielded Rita Sahu, wife of former Congress MLA late Subal Sahu, as its candidate for the ensuing by-poll, while Ashok Panigrahi and Pranay Sahu are contesting the election on BJP and Congress ticket respectively.

The Bijepur Assembly seat fell vacant following the demise of three-time Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August last year.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.