BJD moves CEO against Union min

Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Thursday moved chief electoral officer S K Lohani accusing Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan of encouraging a TV journalist to beat up minister Ranendra Pratap Swain while he was campaigning in Padampur on Tuesday.
In a memorandum to the CEO, the BJD said it had submitted a video proof of the Union minister on Tuesday telling the journalist to beat up Raja, clearly referring to Swain whose nickname is Raja. The regional party demanded action against Dharmendra.
The BJP also moved the CEO alleging that some goons at the behest of BJD Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda attacked one of their woman workers on Wednesday.
The party said their woman worker, Nirupama Bag, was attacked by BJD supporters while she was campaigning for the party. The BJP said though a written complaint was lodged at Paikmal police station, the police had not registered any case. BJP state general secretary Lekhashri Samantasinghar said the BJD leaders were using violence as a means to win the election.
BJD MLA Bikram Panda denied the allegation saying it was totally fabricated. There was no attack by any BJD member on any BJP worker. “The particular incident referred to by the BJP pertains to a heated argument between two groups of villagers over poor quality of drainage work. I had nothing to do with it,” he said.