2014 poll manifesto: BJD lodges complaint against BJP

Bhubaneswar: A day after BJP released its poll manifesto for Odisha, ruling-BJD today lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the Kharavela Nagar Police Station alleging that the saffron party cheated the people of Odisha.

The BJD alleged that BJP has duped people of Odisha by not fulfilling the promise of special category State status made in its 2014 poll manifesto. They also posed a question as to why the same promise is not mentioned in the 2019 poll manifesto released on Sunday.

“The BJP’s 2019 manifesto violates guidelines of the Election commission. They had promised in 2014 manifesto that special state status will be accorded to Odisha, if voted to power. But the assurance was not fulfilled even after BJP ruled for five years at the Centre. This means the promises made in manifesto have not been kept and it is akin to cheating people. This violates the guidelines of Chief Election Commission as well,” said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra.

Responding to the charges, State BJP vice president, Samir Mohanty said, “Promises have been made in the manifesto and we are considering them as ‘sankalp’. To hide their inefficiencies, BJD is levelling such kind of allegations.”

“The party has also given a list of booths, where BJD is trying to conduct vote by force, to the CEO and hope that the central paramilitary force will be deployed at those places,” Mohanty added.