BJD is misusing ‘govt machinery’ for bypoll: BJP

New Delhi: Accusing Odisha’s ruling BJD of “rampant misuse” of government machinery and adopting “devious” means to ensure its victory in the upcoming Bijepur Assembly bypoll, the Opposition BJP on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to transfer a number of officials for a fair election. A BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to the EC, levelling charges against the state government.

The delegation included Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, party general secretaries Bhupendra Yadav and Arun Singh and spokesperson Sambit Patra. The memorandum said the Odisha government had given “inducements” to influence voters which compromised the impartiality of the election process. BJP leaders claimed that with the byelection in mind, the BJD government in the last two or three months had announced schemes worth over `1,250 crore without budgetary provisions aimed at boosting its poll prospects. The party 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.

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 byelection.