The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Monday accused BJP leaders of misusing the Election Commission of India’s name and threatening Odisha government officials on poll duty of transfers if they do not support the BJP in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
“The Odisha BJP poll candidates and leaders are calling up Odisha officials on election duty, stating that these transfers were done by the ECI based on Odisha BJP’s complaints.
“By doing this, the Odisha BJP leaders and poll candidates are destroying our hard-earned democratic process and the credentials of our electoral system.
The BJD leader alleged that such tactics were also carried out by the BJP leaders during the 2019 assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
“If the BJD has some proof of BJP leaders and candidates threatening poll officials by taking ECI’s name, they should provide the details with evidence to the ECI instead of creating hype in the media,” said Biswal.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Monday accused BJP leaders of misusing the Election Commission of India’s name and threatening Odisha government officials on poll duty of transfers if they do not support the BJP in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
Against the backdrop of the ECI recently transferring six IPS officers and two IAS officers to non-poll duty, BJD Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra said BJP candidates and leaders are using these transfers as an example.
“The Odisha BJP poll candidates and leaders are calling up Odisha officials on election duty, stating that these transfers were done by the ECI based on Odisha BJP’s complaints. They further threaten that if these officials don’t support Odisha BJP, then they would ensure their transfers as well by falsely complaining to the Election Commission of India,” claimed Patra in a letter to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
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Alleging that such tactics amount to gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Patra said this is also criminal in nature as it relates to threatening personnel on election duty and trying to influence the election process.
“By doing this, the Odisha BJP leaders and poll candidates are destroying our hard-earned democratic process and the credentials of our electoral system. It is needless to say that a free and fair election process is the fountainhead of our democracy mandated by our Constitution,” Patra wrote in his letter.
The BJD leader alleged that such tactics were also carried out by the BJP leaders during the 2019 assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
“It seems to have become a pattern for the Odisha BJP to Illegally indulge in and thereby vitiate the electoral process and illegally influence the elections. This is not a healthy sign for democracy and the electoral process. Besides, they are also damaging the reputation of ECI by misusing the name of the constitutional body,” claimed Patra.
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Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said the recent ECI order regarding transfer of some officials has rattled the ruling party in Odisha because of which they are making such absurd allegations. “If the BJD has some proof of BJP leaders and candidates threatening poll officials by taking ECI’s name, they should provide the details with evidence to the ECI instead of creating hype in the media,” said Biswal.
