Bhubaneswar: A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday moved the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to complain about the blatant misuse of the Biju Yuva Vahini (BYV) and the massive level distribution of mobile phones to BYV cadres during polls.
The BJP delegation complained to the CEO that several government officials in the state are being used by the party to distribute mobile phones of private companies to BYV workers to use them for their party related works against the well laid down guidelines of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission of India.
Raking up the issue, the party also submitted a memorandum to the poll panel. In its memorandum, the party said, “We have brought to the notice of the DIG, CID, EOW, Odisha about the illegal distribution of mobile phones supplied by various private companies and corporate houses to BJD party workers, members of the Biju Yuva Vahini on the pretext of distributing mobile phones to farmers,”
It also added, “We had urged them to treat our complain dated March 6, 2019 as FIR and take appropriate action into this regard It has been brought to our notice that illegal distribution of these mobile phones has been going on even now after the Model Code of Conduct came into force with effect from March 10, 2019,”
The memorandum asked the CEO to initiate an enquiry into the illegal distribution of mobile phones by private companies and corporate houses to the ruling party BJD party workers and members of Biju Yuva Vahini through government servants.
In another memorandum before the state poll panel, the BJP also took on the ruling BJD government in the state for failing to make available the list of eligible farmers from the state for assistance to them under central financial scheme for them.
In its memorandum, the BJP alleged that fraudulent practices are used by the BJD government to distribute money to its party cadres through ingeniously devised government scheme which was not only illegal but also a threat to the idea of fair and free elections. It also took a dig at the BJD for its failure to make public the list of beneficiaries under the KALIA scheme.