5th Phase Odisha Panchayat Polls: Polling Booths Turn Into Battle Grounds Again

The fifth and final phase of the Odisha Panchayat elections was once again marked by violence with incidents of booth rigging, looting of ballot boxes  and scuffle among voters reported from across the State on Thursday.

Tension erupted at Dhamnagar Arjunpur Panchayat in Bhadrak district after polling agents were allegedly thrashed by miscreants at booth number 3, 4 and 8. Group clashes and alleged attempts of booth rigging also disrupted the polling process at booths 6 and 7.

On getting information, police rushed to the spot and thereafter, polling continued under tight security.

One of the agents, Amar Biswal alleged, "I was brutally beaten up by the miscreants. They also thrashed the husband of a Sarpanch candidate."

In the same district (Bhadrak), polling was disrupted in Katasahi Panchayat in Ward no.1 of Dhamnagar Block after miscreants allegedly entered the booth and decamped with ballot papers. Meanwhile, re-polling has been announced at the booth.

Booth rigging incidents were reported from 15 booths in Cuttack's Niali region today. Poling process halted at as many as nine booths in Pokharigan Panchayat (booth No(s) 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) after ballot boxes were thrown into a pond. Besides, complaints of booth rigging also surface from booth No(s) 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 20 & 21.

Voters were allegedly thrashed by the supporter of a Sarpanch candidate following which locals staged road blockade in Pokharigan chhak demand re-polling. Later, the local Tehsildar and Niali IIC reached spot and brought the situation under control.

Moreover, miscreants allegedly looted ballot box from Niali's Bilasuni booth no 14 and threw it into a pond while some more miscreants poured water into a ballot box at Alana Panchayat's booth no 12.

Meanwhile, BJD Minister Bikram Arukh has been accused of booth rigging in Jilundi Panchayat under Bhanjanagar Police Station limits. The Minister allegedly thrashed agents at booths No(s) 16 and 18 at Agajhola and warned them to leave the polling centres. 

Arukh also allegedly thrashed a Samiti Member candidate Ajodhyanath Mohapatra when the latter protested. A group of people later wrote to the concerned administration demanding re-polling at the booths.

"Bikram Arukh and his gundas thrashed me. We the voters demand the arrest of the accused Minister and his associate. We even met the BDO and put forth our demand," said Mohapatra.

Speaking on the matter, Rabindra Gouda, BJP Zilla Parishad candidate, alleged, "The Minister attempted booth rigging along with his associates. I demand the State Election Commission and the Odisha government to look into the matter and announce re-polling."

However, the BJD Minister refuted the allegations stating that he was not involved in any booth rigging incident.