Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20: The BJD and the BJP today traded charges of trying to influence voters by distributing money and other goodies ahead of the final phase of panchayat elections slated for tomorrow.
The BJD accused the BJP of distributing cash ferried from Chhattisgarh in Nabarangpur and Kalahandi, while the BJP cited the instance of former minister Sarada Prasad Nayak being detained by villagers in Sundargarh district while distributing money.
BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said money was seized from BJP vehicles in Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts. "The money was brought from Chhattisgarh for distribution among voters," he alleged.
"Earlier, we had alleged that the BJP was bringing money from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where it is in power, to distribute among the voters. Our allegation has now been validated," said Deb.
Countering the allegation, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said: "People of Chhattisgarh have social relations with the people of Nabarangpur and Kalahandi across the border. It's not wrong for them to come to visit their relatives. The BJD is seeking all kinds of excuses to hide its inefficiency."
Earlier in the day, a BJP delegation, led by former minister Samir Dey, met with officers of the State Election Commission and accused the BJD of adopting unfair means to win the panchayat polls by influencing the voters. "This has been proved while former minister Sarada Prasad Nayak was detained by the villagers while distributing blankets. The villagers earlier had beaten up Nayak while he was caught distributing money," said BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty, who was part of the delegation. Mohanty said Nayak was resorting to such unfair practices repeatedly with the patronage of the local administration and police.
Nayak was accused of trying to capture booth and rig the polls in Patkura during the 2009 Assembly polls.
The BJP reiterated their charge that the ruling party was conniving with government officials to win the rural polls by hook or by crook. Senior party leader Suresh Pujari sought a judicial probe into the "nexus" between the ruling party and government officials. "Let the call details of the government officials be verified to prove the nexus," he said.
Incidents of violence were reported from several places across the state after the fourth phase polling and counting of votes yesterday. A defeated ward member candidate, Kameswar Palakka, was murdered in Maoist-dominated Bandhugaon area of Koraput district.
Incidents of violence were also reported in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh and Khurda districts.
Congress activists staged a roadblock in Bhadrak district demanding an investigation into the death of party leader Suresh Rout, who was killed in a road accident on his way back home yesterday. Alleging that Rout was murdered by BJD activists, former Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. However, BJD leader Prafulla Samal denied the allegation.
Preparations have been over for the final round of polling tomorrow for 150 zilla parishad seats in 26 districts. Re-poll was also held at 29 polling stations, where polling had been disrupted during the previous phases, said commission secretary R.N. Sahu.
Special security arrangements have been made at Niyamgiri in Rayagada district and Maoist-affected Khaprakhole block in Balangir and Boden block in Nuapada district.
