The voting for a no-confidence motion against Kirmira Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Krushnapriya Sahu was cancelled today.
Although all arrangements were made for the voting, none of the sarpanchs or samiti members arrived at the venue. As a result, the officials left, and the voting process was called off.
The absence of both Samiti members and sarpanchs resulted in the cancellation of the vote. The election officer, who had been present from 10.00 AM to 11.00 AM, was forced to vacate the venue due to the lack of attendance.
Following this, under the leadership of former MLA Deepali Das, BJD workers staged a demonstration in front of the District Collector’s office. The BJD accused the police of attempting to obstruct the voting process through unethical and undemocratic means.
Deepali Das also alleged that authorities had detained her brother, Vishal Das, and a PRI member in Chhattisgarh since yesterday without any evidence against them. Worth mentioning is the fact that Vishal was detained late last night by police in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district. Along with him, several Samiti members and a village sarpanch were also taken into custody by officers from the Saraipali Police Station.
Vishal claimed their detention was illegal and appealed for intervention. “We have been illegally detained at a police station in Chhattisgarh. Our lives are under threat. We urge the Odisha government and the police DG to intervene and ensure our safety,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deepali alleged that the police were acting under political pressure. “The no-confidence proceedings against the Kirmira block Chairman were scheduled for 10:30 am today. However, the Jharsuguda police, allegedly under the SP’s instructions, detained our supporters around 1 am and handed them over to the Chhattisgarh police. When my brother went to check on their situation, he was also detained,” Deepali claimed.
She further criticized the BJP, alleging that the detentions were an attempt to undermine democracy. “This shows the BJP’s fear of losing the no-confidence vote. They are resorting to undemocratic measures to suppress the voices of the opposition,” she stated.