BJD Alleges Deliberate Delay in Patnaik's Helicopter Clearance Affecting Byelection Campaign

The BJD has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging that the delay in helicopter clearance for Naveen Patnaik hindered his campaigning efforts in the Nuapada byelection. The party seeks an urgent investigation into the matter.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of delaying clearance for party president Naveen Patnaik's helicopter at Bhubaneswar Airport. This delay reportedly disrupted his campaign efforts for the Nuapada byelection. The BJD has formally requested an investigation into this matter, urging the ECI to prevent any misuse of public authority for political gain.

In a petition to Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer, the BJD alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) violated the Model Code of Conduct by obstructing and delaying helicopter clearance at Biju Patnaik International Airport. They claimed that Patnaik’s travel plans were shared in advance with all relevant authorities, including the DEO & Collector, DG Police Odisha, SP Security, Airport Director, and Duty Officer, Air Traffic Control.

Allegations of Political Discrimination

The BJD argued that these actions by central and state governments amounted to political discrimination. They claimed it unfairly restricted their campaign rights by controlling essential public infrastructure like airports. The party urged the CEO to ensure strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and protect all parties' rights to campaign freely and fairly.

Prasanna Pradhan, director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, stated that Patnaik's flight was delayed by approximately 25 minutes due to traffic clearance issues. He attributed the delay to the pilot not submitting necessary documents for clearance from authorities.

Congress Raises Concerns Over Campaign Practices

The Congress also filed a complaint with the CEO against BJP candidate Jay Dholakia. They alleged that Dholakia used minor children, including girls, in his election campaign in Nuapada. "It has come to our attention that minor children, including minor girls, are being deliberately used by Jay Dholakia and his party workers for election campaigning across various locations in the Nuapada Assembly Constituency," they stated.

The Congress demanded immediate action against Dholakia and the BJP for this serious violation involving minors in campaigning. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have not yet commented on these allegations made by both the BJD and Congress.

With inputs from PTI