Nabarangpur: The local administration in Papadahandi block of Nabarangpur district seized a vehicle of BJD MLA 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.

After receiving information, the local Tahsildar and police officials reached the spot and tried to resolve the issue.

Bhujabal Majhi said while he was campaigning for his daughter at Kantamal, who is contesting the panchayat polls, he got information that the Dabugaon MLA was distributing sarees and cash among voters at Randaguda village.

“We stopped the Dabugaon MLA’s vehicle and informed the State Election Commissioner about the poll code violation,” the former MLA said.

In his reaction, Manohar Randhari said sarees have been stacked in his vehicle always. As he usually attends marriage function and funeral ceremony in his area, he keeps sarees in the vehicle to gift the host. There has been no evil intention behind keeping sarees in the vehicle, the Dabugaon legislator claimed.