Bhubaneswar: The BJD Sunday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission alleging that Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu had violated the Model Code of Conduct while campaigning for the BJP candidate in the Dhamnagar assembly bypoll.
The bypoll is scheduled to be held on November 3.
A Biju Janata Dal (BJD) delegation led by Lenin Mohanty on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), accusing Tudu, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in the by-election campaigning.
The BJD delegation also submitted a video to the CEO, alleging that Tudu had given assurance to the people of Dhamnagar that his ministry would undertake works to protect Dhamnagar from flood fury.
The BJD said that MCC guidelines prohibits any form of promise and assurance about undertaking government works by a public representative while the poll code is in force.
“The union minister has violated the MCC. He has promised that he would hold discussion with them and send a Central Water Commission team to Dhamnagar”, BJD leader and former MP Pradeep Majhi told reporters.
“If action is not taken against Tudu, it will set a very bad precedence for the voters of Dhamnagar and for democracy,” the BJD memorandum said.
Tudu was not immediately available for comment.
The Dhamnagar assembly constituency has been witnessing high-voltage campaigning by leaders of the BJD, Congress, BJP and Independent candidates.
A number of Odisha ministers and MLAs were engaged in campaigning for BJD candidate Abanti Das.
Two union ministers, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bisheswar Tudu, campaigned for BJP candidate Suryabanshi Suraj for the second consecutive day Saturday.
PTI