BJD leader Snehangini Chhuria alleged the BJP won the Nuapada by-election through ‘booth-rigging’ and EVM tampering. She rejected the result, accused officials of complicity, and urged people to protest what she called a ‘murder of the Constitution’.
BJD Alleges ‘Booth-Rigging’ in Nuapada Bypoll
BJD leader Snehangini Chhuria alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a massive mandate in the Nuapada by-election through “booth-rigging. She urged people to come out and protest, saying that the officials would not take action. In the Nuapada by-election, BJP’s Jay Dholakia had defeated Congress’s Ghasi Ram Majhi.
Speaking to ANI, Chhuria said, “.. They (BJP) secured a massive mandate in the Nuapada by-election through booth-rigging. We don’t accept this false result… This was done by rigging the booths, using government officials, police, the collector, and the district magistrate… Everyone wanted to vote for Naveen Patnaik… So, how did they get so many votes despite so much support? I even went to 10-12 booths and protested… I spoke up, and that went viral in the media… They tampered with EVMs… To gain power, they can go to extreme lengths…”
Chhuria Urges Public Protest, Calls it ‘Murder of Constitution’
The BJD leader said that people should raise their voices and termed it a “murder” of the Constitution. “This is not right for elections. This should not happen for the Republic, for the Constitution. We condemn this… We should protest against them… The BJP government is responsible for this. The Election Commission or the Collector act on the government’s orders… The officials won’t do anything about that. The people have to protest… People should come out and raise their voices… This is a murder of the Constitution… Where are the voting figures coming from?… The election ends at 5 pm. How does the figure given at 5 pm change by 12 pm the next day?… BJP will come to power for the next 10 years because they engage in booth-rigging and EVM tampering…”
Nuapada By-election Background
In Odisha, the Nuapada Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of senior BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia in September. Odisha’s Nuapada constituency saw 83.45 per cent voter participation. The by-elections were held on November 11, and the counting of votes took place on November 14. (ANI)
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