Bhubaneswar: BJP today lodged a formal complaint with the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer against a senior IAS officer accusing him of managing the entire election campaign of the ruling BJD and functioning like an office bearer of the party.
In a letter to the CEO, BJP’s state unit alleged that the senior bureaucrat, the private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was misusing his official power and machinery in violation of the Model Code of Conduct for elections.
Releasing copies of the letter at a press conference, state BJP’s election in-charge Surendranath Lath claimed that CM’s private secretary V K Pandian was allegedly working like a BJD office bearer and operating from “Naveen Niwas”, the residence of Naveen Patnaik.
BJP demanded that a closed-circuit camera be placed around the house of the IAS officer and surveillance be mounted on his movements and activities.
Call records of his mobile phones right from the date of announcement of elections should be examined, said the letter, signed by Rabi Sankar Pattnaik, in-charge EC and legal affairs of state BJP’s election office.
While Pandian was not immediately available for comment, BJD vice-president Kalpataru Das denied the allegation as baseless and said it was prompted by frustration.
Alleging that entire Gujarat government was engaged in boosting the poll prospects of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said it was ridiculous on the part of BJP to level such allegations.