Dhenkanal, Feb. 20: Nationalist Congress Party legislator from Gondia Nabin Nanda today accused the ruling Biju Janata Dal of attacking him and his son during the panchayats polls in the district. Police, however, alleged that the MLA and his supporters had indulged in violence.

While the MLA claimed that his two sons and the security official provided by the Odisha government had been injured in the attack, the police said the MLA’s supporters had hurled a petrol bomb at police personnel in a bid to stop re-polling at Nihalprasad village.

The police also said the security official was injured in the clash between the villagers and supporters of the MLA. “His (Nanda’s) son has not been injured,” a police officer said.

The police said the MLA had staged the attack and a case would be registered against him.

They denied that the MLA had registered a complaint over the incident and said the supporters of Nanda had damaged a police vehicle and attacked two policemen, injuring them.

The violence occurred during re-polling to elect the sarpanch at two booths in Nihalprasad village. Following complaints of booth capturing yesterday, the district administration had ordered re-polling at the two booths today.

“I heard that our NCP sarpanch candidate Kailash Naik was being attacked by BJD supporters and rushed to the spot.

“As soon as I reached the spot, BJD workers pelted stones at us and attacked all of us. My son and his friend were seriously injured and one of the security men was also injured.

“The attackers fled after another security man fired in the air,” said Nanda.

He said his son and his injured friend were rushed to Cuttack with head injuries.

Nanda accused the local police of siding with the ruling BJD. “It (the police) remained a mute spectator. I was gheraoed at the police station when I went to lodge a complaint,” he said.

The district superintendent of police, Satish Gajviye, had another story. He blamed the MLA for violence at the village and accused his men of hurling a petrol bomb at a police vehicle to disrupt the poll.

Denying that the MLA had lodged any FIR, the police chief said: “We will lodge an FIR against the MLA and his men on charges of criminal conspiracy. We might even arrest the MLA,” said Gajviye.

Polling took place at the two booths.