Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday complained that the state government officials are working for the BJD and distributing money to the voters and adversely affecting fair and free elections from the state.
A delegation of the BJP comprising party state vice president Samir Mohanty moved to the office of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) here and said that the Project Director of DRDA in connivance with the Zila Parishad President of the Nabarangpur district is distributing money to the voters to influence voters in favour of BJD.
The party also said that the Project Director is expeditiously clearing payments to contractors without any inspection of incomplete works. “This is done deliberately so that contractors can influence the voters unduly in favour of BJD-the ruling party. The accused has been working openly in support of BJD and functioning as an agent of BJD Nabarangpur,” the party memorandum given to the state CEO said.
The memorandum also added, “The money is distributed among the voters which is unbecoming of a government servant and by that he has not only committed an offence under Section 129 of the Representation of People Act of 1951 but also liable under Section 171B of the IPC including disciplinary action.”
The party also requested the CEO to make an enquiry into the matter. The party told the CEO, “It is therefore requested to cause an enquiry into the matter and prosecute the PD, DRDA Nabarangpur by filing and FIR and take further against him. He be immediately placed under suspension.”
The party in another sets of memorandum submitted to the CEO also demanded action against the private secretary of Chief Minister VK Pandian for allegedly using the grassroots works and Self Help Groups to mobilize them for garnering votes for the party and grossly misusing the bureaucratic post and working more for the BJD rather than for the Chief Minister.
In another memorandum, the BJP complained about an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by a TV news channel owned by BJD’s Lok Sabha candidate Achyuta Samanta where self promoting materials of Mission Shakti are being broadcasted in violation of poll codes.