Cyclone Fani: Naveen Patnaik urges ECI to postpone Patkura polls

New Delhi: As the IMD forecasting very severe cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ likely hit the Odisha coast on May 3, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora here and urged him to postpone the polling in Patkura Assembly constituency.

“Odisha’s acknowledged disaster management strategy is completely based on community involvement. Evacuation, disaster preparedness, relief and restoration are all community based and at this point of time to have a politically supercharged atmosphere will cause serious dislocation in the preparedness,” the Chief Minister said in his letter to the CEC.

“It is strongly suggested to postpone the poll to 96-Patkura to a later date so that communities can work together in harmony and administration can focus saving precious lives and valuable property,” he added saying his Government’s topmost priority will be to save precious lives.

The ECI had earlier fixed May 19 as the date for the polling in Patkura assembly constituency following the demise of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla on April 20.

As per the original schedule, the polling in Patkura was supposed to be held in the fourth phase on April 29.

Meanwhile, the BJD has fielded Sabitri Agarwalla, wife of late Bed Prakash Agarwalla, for Patkura Assembly seat. She filed her nomination at the office of the Sub-Collector in Kendrapara today.

The opposition BJP has already fielded its veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra from Patkura while Congress has named Jayant Mohanty as its nominee for the Assembly seat.

Also Read: BJD Fields Sabitri Agarwalla For Patkura Assembly Seat