By Our Correspondent
BHADRAK/BHUBANESWAR: Tension griped at a polling booth for bypolls to Dhamnagar Assembly seat, after a vehicle with posters of Biju Janata Dal and party candidate Abanti Das was found parked within the prohibited zone of a polling station on Thursday.
BJD candidate Das visited booths 75, where polling process was disrupted due to technical problems with the EVM, and 77 at Kanpada this morning but the vehicle she arrived in had a poster of BJD.
When local voters shouted slogans and protested against it, the car, which was parked within 100 meters of the booth, soon ran away. Protestors chased the car but it ran away speedily. Das, however, said that there was no violation of the poll code of conduct.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) SK Lohani on Thursday said 22.36 percent voting was recorded by 11 am for the Dhamnagar by-poll.
Meanwhile, Natabar Munda, the first polling officer engaged for the bye-election, passed away at the SCB hospital in Cuttack this morning. He was working as Assistant Teacher at Olanga Nodal UP School in Bhadrak district and engaged for polls.
‘ଧାମନଗର ଉପନିର୍ବାଚନରେ ନିୟୋଜିତ ଥିବା ପୋଲିଂ ଅଫିସର ନଟବର ମୁଣ୍ଡାଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ତାଙ୍କ ଅମର ଆତ୍ମାର ସଦଗତି କାମନା କରିବା ସହ ଶୋକସନ୍ତପ୍ତ ପରିବାରବର୍ଗଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ମୋର ସମବେଦନା ଜଣାଉଛି।,’ Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a tweet.
BJD Rebel and Independent candidate Raju Das alleged mismanagement at several booths like booth no-73 and 75 and he also alleged about irregularities in poll process. He said, live telecasting of voting is not being done properly. Das apprehends poll rigging if steps are not being taken in time.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm or by 6.30 pm. Triangular fight between BJP’s Suryabanasi Suraj , BJD’s Abanti Das and Independent Raju Das is likely with voters making beeline at various polling stations.
