Odisha BJP president election put on hold following Puri stampede during Rath Yatra festivities

Hours after initiating a process for the election of its Odisha unit chief, the BJP on Sunday put the poll on hold in view of recent stampede during the Rath Yatra festivities in Puri, the party sources said.

Also Read: Odisha BJP President Election to begin tomorrow, results on July 1

Three persons, including two women, were killed and over 50 others were injured in the stampede near Gundicha Temple in the wee hours of today at around 4.20 AM.

Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who has been appointed as the state returning officer for the party's organisational poll, said that the election for both state president and national council members from Odisha has been “put on hold”.

An unfortunate incident took place in Puri, and three devotees lost their lives, and several others are undergoing treatment, Sarangi said.

“Last rites of the deceased have not been performed. Such a tragic incident has disturbed all of us. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased devotees,” Balasore MP Sarangi expressed.

“In view of the stampede, elections of the state BJP president and national council members from Odisha, which were scheduled to be held on July 1, have been put on hold,” he said.

Information about the election will be shared later, said the senior BJP leader Sarangi.

Earlier in the day, the party returning officer had stated that voting for BJP’s organisational members and the party’s state unit president will be conducted on July 1.

The party has also appointed Sanjay Jaiswal, an MP from Bihar, as the observer for the poll.

Now, everything has been put on hold until further announcement, Sarangi added.