Bhubaneswar: Alleging undue influence of bureaucrats in affairs of the ruling-BJD during the ongoing elections in Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to track three senior bureaucrats- Chief Minister’s private secretary VK Pandian, OSD to CM DS Kuttey & DIG Intelligence Asish Singh.
A delegation of the saffron party led by State unit vice president Sameer Mohanty and secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar on Wednesday moved the CEO alleging that the three top officials along with a film maker have congregated at a hotel to discuss about the fund and other booth management affairs for the BJD.
The saffron party has asked the CEO to conduct raid on the hotel and urged for surveillance on the movement of top bureaucrats.
BJP delegation also alleged that the presiding officer of a booth in Satyabadi Assembly constituency where some miscreants vandalised the EVMs, is taking sides to suit the ruling party. The saffron party leaders urged the State’s top electoral watchdog to take action in connection with the matter.
“At places where there is a monopoly of the ruling party, and the presiding officer shows his complete partiality to support the ruling party candidate, how will justice prevail," questioned Sameer Mohanty.
“From election management to booth handling and from expenditure calculation to strategy making, the bureaucrats are receiving salary from taxpayers’ money but are working for the ruling party. So we have urged the CEO to put surveillance on certain officers who are illegally working for the ruling party," said Lekhashree Samantsinghar.
Meanwhile, the BJD leaders could not be contacted over BJP's allegations.