Bhubaneswar: Alleging Odisha BJP leaders and candidates misusing the name of Election Commission of India (ECI) and threatening Odisha Government officials, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today submitted a petition to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar.
BJD General Secretary Sasmit Patra has written the complaint directly to the CEC to ensure free and fair elections.
“This is to bring to your kind notice that some Odisha BJP poll candidates and leaders are blatantly misusing the name of ECI and threatening officials of Odisha Government who are on election duty with transfers, through Election Commission of India, in case they do not support the Odisha BJP candidates in this 2024 election,” Patra said in the petition.
Recently, 6 IPS and 2 1AS Officers of Odisha were transferred by the ECI. These Odisha BJP poll candidates and leaders are using these transfers as an example and calling up the Odisha officials on election duty, stating that these transfers were done by the Election Commission of India based on Odisha BJP’s complaints, he said.
They (BJP leaders) further threaten that if these officials don’t support Odisha BJP, then they would ensure their transfers as well by falsely complaining to the ECI as before, he pointed out.
“This is not only a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force during this election, but are also criminal In nature relating to threatening of election duty personnel and illegally trying to Influence the election process, By doing this, these Odisha BJP leaders and poll candidates are not only destroying our hard earned democratic process and the credentials of our electoral system,” read the BJD petition.
The ruling party further alleged that the BJP has adopted such tactics during 2019 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections as well. It seems to have become a pattern for the Odisha BJP to Illegally Indulge In; and thereby vitiate the electoral process and illegally Influence the elections, it said.
“This is not a healthy sign for democracy and the electoral process. Besides, they are also damaging the reputation of the Election Commission of India by misusing the rhetoric name of the constitutional body,” the RS Member said.
The BJD requested the CEC to take necessary cognizance of the matter and ensure that these Odisha BJP leaders and poll candidates stop such vicious threats to Government officials of Odisha on election duty and that a free, fair, transparent and healthy election is ensured in Odisha; for the greater good of Indian democracy and the process of free and fair elections.