Pradeep Panigrahi moves Chief Electoral Officer-Odisha demanding security

Bhubaneswar: Odisha unit of BJP today moved the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) demanding free, fair, and impartial General Elections 2024. Criminal activities including murder are rampant in Ganjam district. Voters feel unsafe as violent activities rise during elections, the party alleged.

More than 100 such cases were witnessed last year and around 13 murders have occurred this year. Political murders are nothing new in the district. In this situation, Odisha Government has withdrawn the security provision of the BJP-fielded MP candidate from Berhampur segment Pradeep Panigrahi.

Panigrahi was earlier attacked in the presence of police on August 15, 2022, and August 25, 2023. It was part of a planned conspiracy, the saffron party alleged in its memorandum handed over to the CEO.

BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma and a few others were present while submitting the memorandum.