Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Kumar Routray and some party members Thursday met the Chief Electoral Officer, demanding the transfer of Jagatsinghpur District Collector.
MLA Routray and some of the party members met CEO S K Lohani and submitted a mamorandum wherein Routray has demanded for the transfer of present Collector of Jagatsinghpur district, Sangram Keshrai Mohapatra.
When asked as to why he has demanded the transfer of the District Collector, Routray said, “It is for free and fair election in Tirtol by-election.”
Justifying his demand, Routray said the present District Collector is the son of Sarat Chandra Mohapatra of Sankheswar gram panchayat under Tirtol block.
Sarat was a local leader and elected sarpanch of Sankheswar gram panchayat for 1992-97.
Because the Collector is a native of Tirtol Assembly Constituency and his family supports the ruling BJD, free and fair election in Tirtol by-election is doubted.
He requested the CEO to replace the Jagatsinghpur District Collector with a new District Collector to conduct free and fair election.
Polling for Tirtol and Balasore Assembly Constituencies will be held November 3.
PNN