Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (UNI) Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP) president Bijaya Mohapatra today demanded election expenditures of all the candidates for the Panchayat elections, which concluded today, be made public.
Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Mohapatra claimed the expenditure of elections to the three-tier bodies in Orissa was the costliest than the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. He blamed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for such expensive elections.
He alleged the State Election Commission and the Expenditure Observers were silent spectators to the highly expensive elections.
''There was no rule of law nor any code of conduct during the elections and the ruling BJD had displayed the money power to go to any extent for the victory of its candidates.'' claimed Mahapatra.
Mr Mohapatra said ballot papers were available freely outside the booths and showed some ballot papers at the news conference and questioned the fairness of the polls.
The OGP, he said, would meet Governor Rameswar Thakur and apprise him of the ''largescale irregularities'' reported during the five phase polls. The party would also demand repolling in all those booths where complaints have lodged by the voters.
Mr Mohapatra said at Ramchandrapur booth number 9, the electorate strength was 255 but 384 votes were polled during repolling. The presiding officer of the booth, he said, was arrested today only after the party drew the attention of the SEC to such irregularities.
On the case registered against Speaker Maheswar Mohanty for violating the code of conduct by the Puri District Polling Officer, the OGP President said Mr Mohanty should resign from the post and the police initiate action against him.
''Such type of person should not hold the dignified post of Speaker', he remarked.
UNI
Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Mohapatra claimed the expenditure of elections to the three-tier bodies in Orissa was the costliest than the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. He blamed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for such expensive elections.
He alleged the State Election Commission and the Expenditure Observers were silent spectators to the highly expensive elections.
''There was no rule of law nor any code of conduct during the elections and the ruling BJD had displayed the money power to go to any extent for the victory of its candidates.'' claimed Mahapatra.
Mr Mohapatra said ballot papers were available freely outside the booths and showed some ballot papers at the news conference and questioned the fairness of the polls.
The OGP, he said, would meet Governor Rameswar Thakur and apprise him of the ''largescale irregularities'' reported during the five phase polls. The party would also demand repolling in all those booths where complaints have lodged by the voters.
Mr Mohapatra said at Ramchandrapur booth number 9, the electorate strength was 255 but 384 votes were polled during repolling. The presiding officer of the booth, he said, was arrested today only after the party drew the attention of the SEC to such irregularities.
On the case registered against Speaker Maheswar Mohanty for violating the code of conduct by the Puri District Polling Officer, the OGP President said Mr Mohanty should resign from the post and the police initiate action against him.
''Such type of person should not hold the dignified post of Speaker', he remarked.
UNI
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