BJP brings rigging charges, BJD counters with poll code jibe

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Thursday brought allegations of booth rigging in Chikiti and Koraput assembly seats and hooliganism against BJD workers on Thursday. The saffron party also lodged a complaint with the chief electoral officer (CEO) against chief minister Naveen Patnaik for allegedly violating the model code by conducting election meetings while polling was being held in four parliamentary and 28 assembly seats. The BJP said it had apprised the CEO of the vulnerability of certain booths and accused it of not taking steps to protect them. “As a result, large scale rigging and booth capturing was seen. Our agents were not allowed inside 18 booths in the Chikiti assembly constituency,” alleged vice-president of state BJP, Samir Mohanty. He also said BJP’s Chikiti assembly seat candidate Manoranjan Dyanasamantray was manhandled and beaten at Jhatipadar (booth no-42).
On the other hand, BJD brought counter-charges against BJP for organising a press meet and for its leaders giving bytes on local TV channels during the silence period on Thursday. “The allegations of rigging are false,” said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra.