Former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Sunday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to protect the “credibility” of the democratic process by ensuring free and fair polling in the high-stakes Nuapada Assembly by-election scheduled for Tuesday.
In a sharp post on X, Naveen said: “The people of India have inherited this democracy through the sacrifices of our forefathers, and it is the duty of every institution — especially the Election Commission — to protect it from erosion. We seek your urgent action to preserve the credibility of this election.”
The BJD chief’s statement came amid allegations that BJP workers and leaders were trying to influence voters and violate the model code of conduct during the 36-hour silence period that began on Sunday evening. The bypoll, necessitated by the death of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, is witnessing a triangular fight among the BJD, the ruling BJP and the Congress.
In a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO), the BJD accused BJP workers of distributing money and inducements among voters and claimed that senior BJP ministers, MLAs and leaders from outside Nuapada were still camping in the constituency. “We have reliable information that BJP leaders from outside Nuapada are freely moving around and attempting to influence voters through unfair means,” the party said.
Naveen alleged that when local BJD leaders objected to these violations, they were detained by police, showing the “partisan behaviour” of the district administration. “This strikes at the core of democratic fairness and undermines faith in the electoral process,” he said, urging the ECI to direct the immediate withdrawal of outside BJP leaders and ensure neutral policing at all sensitive booths.
The BJD also demanded the transfer of the Nuapada collector and superintendent of police, accusing them of extending “undue support” to BJP candidate Jay Dholakia. “Videos are circulating among local residents showing BJP workers distributing cash and cards to voters,” the memorandum alleged.
Chief electoral officer R.S. Gopalan, however, rejected a separate allegation from a political party that a truckload of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was secretly moved from Ganjam to Nuapada ahead of polling. Calling the claim “false and baseless,” he said: “It is impossible to move EVMs from another district during an election. Every district has designated warehouses under CCTV surveillance and police guard. All EVMs for this bypoll were taken only from the Nuapada warehouse.”
He added that the Election Commission maintains a full record of all EVMs, including those used for training and voter awareness drives. “Voters should not believe such rumours,” Gopalan said.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission said all necessary security and logistical arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling across 280 booths in the constituency, where over 2.5 lakh voters will decide the fate of 14 candidates. Polling will begin at 7am and continue till 5pm, while counting is scheduled for November 14.
The bypoll is being seen as a key political test for both chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s BJP government and Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, which is contesting its first major election after losing power earlier this year. For the Congress, the contest offers a chance to regain lost ground in western Odisha, where it once held a strong base.
Observers say local issues — including unemployment, irrigation, farmer distress and compensation for crop losses caused by Cyclone Montha — have dominated the campaign.
As the silence period began, the administration intensified vigil and deployed additional police personnel in sensitive areas. Flying squads and surveillance teams have also been activated to curb the movement of cash and liquor.
Naveen’s appeal to the ECI on Sunday, coming hours before voting day, has injected fresh political tension into an already heated contest. Both the BJP and the Congress dismissed the BJD’s charges, saying the ruling party was “making excuses in anticipation of defeat.”
