Odisha by-poll:BJD wins Umerkote as embly by-poll

Prasant Rath (www.indusvalleytimes.com) Nowrangpur, Dec. 4: The ruling Biju Janata Dal on Sunday won the Umerkote assembly by-poll by defeating BJP by 21,061 votes. The victorious BJD candidate Subhas Ganda polled 54,713 votes, while the BJP nominee secured 33, 652 votes. The Congress representative Jatindra Ganda finished the poor third by securing 32,887 votes. “This is a victory of the BJD and its leadership Naveen Patnaik. I will try to live up to the expectation of people of my constituency,” Mr Ganda said in his immediate reaction after the results were declared. By-poll to the seat was held on November 30 following assassination of the sitting BJD legislator Jagabandhu Majhi on September 24. “I would like to thank the people of Umerkote for reposing their faith in BJD. It was vote for all the good work of the state government and trust in the chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s leaderdship,” senior BJD leader and revenue minister S. N. Patro, who was heading the campaign committee, said. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the BJD president, had campaigned in the constituency for a day despite having leg fracture problem. The BJP, on the other hand, said the ruling party rigged the results by misutilisation of government machinery and inducement. “From the day one when we were told that electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used in Umerkote elections, we were sure that BJD will win the poll. You cannot expect neutral elections when EVMs placed under the government custody are used in the poll,” said BJP state vice president Ashok Sahu. Pradesh Congress President Niranjan Patnaik attributed the BJD’s victory to misuse of government machinery, manipulation and use of money and muscle power. “The BJD had deployed over a dozen of ministers and over 40 MLAs to canvass for its party candidate. It not only misutilised to government machinery to influence the votes, but also distributed blankets, money and household articles to voters,” said the PCC president.