Odisha rural polls: SEC debars senior BJD MLA from campaigning for 48 hours

The State Election Commission, Odisha has debarred senior BJD MLA and government chief whip in the assembly, Pramila Mallik, from campaigning in the upcoming panchayat elections for two days starting Monday.

The commission had on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Mallik for allegedly threatening to stop providing benefits of various schemes to people if they do not vote for the ruling party, thereby violating the model code of conduct The senior BJD leader cannot give interviews or make public utterances in the media anywhere in the state for a period of 48 hours from 10 am of Monday, the SEC said in an official notification.

In a separate order, the poll panel warned against fake voting in the three-tier panchayat elections scheduled to be held in five phases between February 16 and February 24. SEC Secretary R N Sahu said a polling agent can challenge a voter on grounds of suspicious identity. “By depositing a fee of Rs 2 to the presiding officer, the agent can request an inquiry… In case the voter is found to be fake, the person would be handed over to police,” Sahu added.