Intel report on safe seat for CM Naveen: Tug of war continues between BJD & BJP

Bhubaneswar: In the run up to the crucial 2019 polls, two major political parties in Odisha- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ruling Biju Janta Dal (BJD) - are now at loggerheads over a purported intelligence report which allegedly carried out a political assessment for CM Naveen Patnaik's candidature from Hinjili constituency. The report, which BJD claims to be fake, was shown by BJP at a presser on March 18.

Alleging that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) is yet to take any action on BJP for producing such fake report, BJD today questioned whether the CEO is being pressurised by BJP or the Centre.

“Two days back, BJD had demanded that CEO should take action on BJP as they used a fake document to mislead people. But unfortunately, the CEO or the Election Commission has not taken any steps. Today, we again reiterated our demand,” said BJD spokesperson, Sasmit Patra.

It is pertinent to mention here that earlier Odisha Police had categorically termed the report fake and fabricated. Moreover, the Commissionerate Police had also registered a case while notices were served to several BJP leaders including party’s vice president Samir Mohanty, Golak Mohapatra and Tankadhar Tripathy to depose at Kharavel Nagar Police Station today.

Responding to BJD’s allegation, BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty informed to have submitted a legal document to the investigating officer through his lawyer today.

“I have submitted some legal documents through my lawyer. But it seems that somewhere the police administration is biased in its approach as no notice was sent to BJD for the presser they had organised,” said Mohanty.