Odisha Assembly bypoll: BJD workers accused of distributing cash, detained in Bargarh village
BY MAHENDRA DARJEE
BHUBANESWAR, DEC. 5: With just a few hours to go for the crucial Padampur bypoll, tension ran high at Sareikela village under Paikamal block in Odisha’s Bargarh district after two workers of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) were allegedly caught on Sunday while distributing money to woo voters ahead of the much-awaited bypoll. Irate villagers detained two workers while three others managed to escape. The two failed to give satisfactory answers when locals confronted them regarding the reason for their visit to the village. Later, the villagers detained them and informed police in connection with the incident. On being informed, a team of police personnel rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the villagers.
According to sources, five BJD workers arrived at the village by car and were allegedly distributing money to a few villagers. However, angry villagers detained two of them while three others managed to escape.
When contacted, Bargarh superintendent of police (SP) said that necessary action would be taken against them as per law if the allegations are found to be true. However, the local police officials are yet to comment on the matter.
The voting for the Padampur bypoll will start from 7 am and continue till 4 pm on Monday. A total of 2, 57,474 voters, 1,29,497 males and 1,27,565 females, will exercise their franchise at 319 booths. Of them, six are pink booths and 15 are model booths.
Apart from these, 74 booths fall in the Maoist-hit areas and 78 have been marked as sensitive ones. To maintain law and order situation during the polling, nine companies of Central forces and 41 platoons of forces have been deployed.
The bypoll for the seat was necessitated following the death of the incumbent MLA Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha on October 3.
The BJD has fielded Bijaya Ranjan’s daughter Barsha Singh Bariha while former MLA Pradip Purohit is contesting as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee. The Congress has fielded old warhorse Satya Bhusan Sahoo who earlier represented the constituency and went on to become the government chief whip during the JB Patnaik government.
