Bhubaneswar: Even before Congress had finalised its candidate for the Ghasipura Assembly constituency in Keonjhar, the poll season's first war of words between the two political heavyweights in the race- BJD's Badri Patra and Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik, had already begun. Today, as polling is underway in the constituency, the OPCC chief stated that situation in Ghasipura has become serious.
Patnaik, who cast his vote in Bhubaneswar today, alleged that his party's polling agents are being manhandled at the booths in Ghasipura. Not only this, he mentioned that some booths lack police deployment while a few others are not under CCTV surveillance.
"Situation in Ghasipura Assembly constituency is serious. Our poll agents are being beaten up and abducted. Many booths lack police deployment while some polling stations have no CCTV surveillance," the Ghasipura Congress candidate said.
It is pertinent to mention here that two days back Niranjan Patnaik and his supporters were allegedly attacked by some miscreants at Bhandaripada Chhak under Ramchandrapur Police limits in Ghasipura constituency. Patnaik and more than 10 Congress workers sustained injuries in the attack and were rushed to Anandapur hospital for treatment. Vehicles of OPCC president, party observer and MLA candidate from Sanakhemundi constituency, Ramesh Jena, were ransacked by the miscreants, informed sources.
The OPCC president, who entered the race following an open challenge by his opponent Badri Patra, had later alleged involvement of the ruling-BJD in the attack.
Reportedly, polling is underway in six Lok Sabha constituencies of Odisha- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Sambalpur today.