Bhubaneswar, Nov 13 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), on Thursday, alleged large-scale vote rigging during the recently concluded bypoll for the Nuapada Assembly constituency.

Briefing the media persons here, BJD Vice President Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak alleged, “according to election officials, voter turnout stood at 75 per cent till 5 p.m. on polling day. However, later reports indicated that the turnout had increased to 83.5 per cent. While a high voter turnout is a positive sign for democracy, the addition of more than 8 per cent votes after the closing time raised serious doubts.”

He also accused that voter turnout exceeding 91 per cent in around 41 booths suggested possible vote rigging during the bypoll.

Nayak also alleged that many government officials had extended undue support to the ruling BJP during the campaign period.

Meanwhile, senior BJD leader and the party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty demanded that CCTV footage from all booths recording more than 90 per cent voter turnout be made available to the party, as it would reveal whether genuine voting had taken place or if manipulation occurred.

He also cited videos circulating on social media showing EVM machines being transported in private vehicles raising over the claims of transparency in the election process by the Election Commission of India.

“After candidate theft and vote theft, now we are witnessing booth theft,” Lenin remarked.

Both the BJD and Congress have brought serious allegations of model code violations by the ruling BJP leaders and workers during the campaigning and even on the day of voting in Nuapada bypoll on November 11.

The opposition parties also targeted the state government officials of showing undue support to the BJP leaders and its candidate Jay Dholakia during the bypolls.

Notably, the counting of votes will begin at around 8 a.m. on Friday morning amid three-tier security arrangements.

The counting of postal ballots will commence first followed by the counting of votes cast in the EVMs.

–IANS

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