Poll Code Violation: Legislator’s Vehicle Seized

Nabarangpur (Reporters Today Bureau): The local administration in Papadahandi block of Nabarangpur district seized a vehicle of BJD legislator from Dabugaon, Manohar Randhari for stacking sarees to distribute allegedly among voters ahead of three-tier panchayat polls. Based on the allegations by former Congress MLA Bhujabal Majhi and her daughter Lipika Majhi, the local Tahsildar and police officials seized Randhari’s vehicle and brought it to the Papadahandi police station today evening.

When the Dabugaon MLA was returning after attending a campaign rally at Randaguda village under Kantamala panchayat at around 5 PM, Bhujabal Majhi and daughter Lipika Majhi, who is a candidate for Zilla Parishad position, stopped the legislator’s vehicle. They alleged the Dabugaon MLA was trying to influence voters by distributing sarees and he was stacking sarees in his vehicle for the same reason.

Demanding seizure of the vehicle as distributing sarees among voters violates the poll code of conduct, Bhujabal Majhi and daughter Lipika Majhi did not let the Dabugaon MLA’s vehicle to go. As father-daughter duo, and their supporters remained adamant with their demand, tension escalated. A face-off between BJD and Congress activists also ensued.