CEO Orders Probe into Alleged Poll Code Violations by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Aparajita Sarangi

Bhubaneswar: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Odisha has taken swift action in response to allegations of poll code violations levelled against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sambalpur MLA Jaynarayan Mishra, and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.

In a decisive move, the CEO directed the Collectors of Sambalpur and Khurda to conduct thorough investigations into the allegations and submit their probe reports within 24 hours.

The complaints against Pradhan, Mishra, and Sarangi were lodged by representatives of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), citing purported breaches of the Model Code of Conducts (MCCs) during the election campaign for the 2024 polls in the state.

The BJD’s grievances include allegations that Pradhan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, and party MLA Jaynarayan Mishra convened a meeting on April 20 at a government office premises in the western Odisha town, purportedly violating the MCC.

Furthermore, the BJD claimed that Pradhan and Mishra held a meeting with officers and cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), allegedly flouting the poll code.

In a separate complaint, the BJD accused Sarangi, the BJP candidate for Bhubaneswar, of involving children in BJP campaign activities ahead of the polls.