BJP accuses BJD of misusing govt machinery for bypoll

The BJP today accused the ruling BJD in Odisha of "rampant misuse" of government machinery and adopting "devious" means to ensure its victory in the upcoming Bijepur Assembly bypoll.
It also asked the Election Commission to transfer a number of officials for a fair election.
A BJP delegation, which included Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party general secretaries Bhupendra Yadav and Arun Singh, and spokesperson Sambit Patra, today submitted a memorandum to the EC, levelling charges against the state government.
It said the state government had given "inducements" to woo voters which compromised the impartiality of the election process.
The team claimed that with the by-election in mind, the BJD government in the last two or three months had announced schemes worth over Rs 1250 crore without budgetary provisions aimed at boosting its poll prospects.

"What is more distressing and a matter of grave concern is the active involvement and connivance of state government officials to further the vested interests of the ruling BJD. Such intervention is being done both from the state capital and district headquarters. The ruling BJD has left no stone unturned to ensure its poll victory by using devious means," it said.
The BJP demanded the transfer of the district collector and SP besides a number of other officials with immediate effect to prevent them from "acting as party agents" for the February 24 by-election.
It also demanded that all 270 booths in the Assembly constituency be declared "sensitive" and CCTVs be installed not only in the booths but also in the vicinity to prevent any untoward incidents.