Freeze SHG accounts of Dhamnagar, stop BJD from distributing money: BJP urges CEO
Freeze SHG accounts of Dhamnagar, stop BJD from distributing money: BJP urges CEO
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Bhubaneswar: The BJP urged the chief electoral officer block the bank accounts of all SHGs in the Dhamnagar Assembly constituency until the byelection for the seat is over, accusing the ruling BJD of using funds to buy votes.
This demand was made in a note sent to the state's chief electoral officer (CEO) by a delegation of the BJP's Odisha unit, led by general secretary Lekhashri Samantsinghar. The BJD was allegedly using SHGs to distribute money in order to sway voters.
The BJP claimed that it is well known that the incumbent party has been abusing the electoral system in many ways. In previous elections, there were rumours that the BJD distributed cash driven by ambulances and police cars. The opposition party continued, "This time, it has gone a step further and was using the bank accounts of self-help groups to donate money to the voters."
"The BJD is holding SHG meetings as part of the Mission Shakti initiative, and they are enlisting the help of government workers doing electoral activities to distribute money among them to present to voters. Although the BJP had brought the CEO's notice to similar instances during the previous panchayat and civic body elections as well as the Brajrajnagar byelections, the BJP letter claimed that no preventive action was done to restrain the ruling party.
The BJP urged that the CEO freeze the bank accounts of the SHGs in the district, claiming that free and fair byelections to the Dhamnagar constituency cannot be guaranteed under the current conditions.
