Bahinipati

The Congress today accused Koraput police of not taking any action against state school and mass education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda and others, who had allegedly assaulted its party workers at a hotel in Jeypore last week.

Senior Congress leaders, Narasingha Mishra and Kishore Chandra Patel, and party candidate from Jeypore Tara Prasad Bahinipati today meet director-general of police Prakash Mishra in Cuttack and apprised him of the situation.

Narasingha Mishra alleged that there were enough evidences, including the CCTV footage of the hotel, in which the minister’s close associates, including his son, were found assaulting Bahinipati’s nephew and other supporters. “Though Bahinipati has lodged a complaint against Nanda and others, the police is sitting on it as he is a powerful minister,” he said, urging intervention of the police chief.

Mishra said the director-general of police had patiently listened to them and assured them of action against the culprits.

Bahinipati, who contested the Assembly elections against Nanda from Jeypore, alleged that the goons had attacked his associates at the behest of Nanda out of political vendetta. “The culprits are roaming scot-fee. If actions are not taken against the culprits, we will gherao the chief minister’s residence and take to streets,” said the former MLA.

In another development, the BJP accused the BJD of using official machinery to win the elections. BJP spokesperson Samir Mohanty alleged that some government officials were showing favours to the BJD to remain on the right side.

“Be it Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj or Jajpur, the BJD has rigged polls in connivance with the officials. We have given specific instances to the chief electoral officer and the district authorities. But, no action has been taken yet,” said Mohanty.

The BJP leader alleged that the BJD had rigged the polls at a several booths of Badchana in Jajpur district and Ghasipura in Keonjhar by forcibly driving out polling agents of the BJP and other candidates. But, the presiding and poling officers did not report.

The district officials deployed a home guard in the hyper-sensitive booths, the list of which was given by the Opposition candidates, while heavy police deployment was made where the BJD wanted, charged Mohanty.

He said Mayurbhanj district collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil was kept in charge of the poll duty, though he had received strictures from the Supreme Court. Patil was the returning officer for Athgarh in 2009 and the nomination of Ranendra Pratap Swain was rejected. Swain, who was deprived of contesting the elections, had later approached the apex court. The Supreme Court had nullified the elections and reportedly passed strictures against Patil.