BHUBANESWAR: Palpable tension prevailed in Odisha’s Salipur assembly segment following a murderous attack on the BJP MLA candidate Arindam Ray’s booth agent and three others allegedly by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers at booth number 184 and 185 at Malasasan during the final phase of polling in Odisha on Saturday.
“When our booth agent Sanjay Rout confronted the BJD agents as to why they were trying to rig the poll process, they locked us inside and assaulted us. Though some police personnel were present, they remained mute spectators,” Abhisekh Panda, an injured worker said.
"BJD’s Ramesh Jena engaged scores of people and attacked us. A total of five persons have been injured in the attack," alleged Panda.
Sanjay Rout, the election agent of BJP MLA candidate Arindam Roy said, “After getting information that one Ramesh Jena is indulging in illegal activities and booth capturing, we rushed to the spot and he along with 100 others attacked us with sharp weapons, wooden planks and other objects.”
Rout said that there should be repolling in the booths the BJD goons resorted to rigging and booth captured by the BJD workers adding that they have snatched a sharp weapon from them. “I am the party’s authorised agent and I have the right to visit,” Rout added.
BJP MLA candidate Arindam Roy said, “I urge Tangi-Salipur people to raise their voice against such gundaraj by the BJD. My agent is authorised to visit booths and when he went to booth numbers 184 and 185, he was attacked for opposing the booth capture by Ramesh Jena and his supporters.”
Roy said that some BJP workers and agents suffered serious injuries in the head and other body parts and they somehow managed to escape from the spot.
No administrative official could be contacted for their version of the matter. Similarly, no comments were received from the BJD over the allegations.
Meanwhile, the state recorded 49.77 voter turnouts by 3 pm.
