BJP seeks transfer of district officials before Odisha bypoll

The BJP today sought the transfer of the collector and superintendent of police (SP) of Odisha's Bargarh district, where an Assembly bypoll is due, in a plea to the Election Commission (EC) here, accusing the said officials of working in a partisan manner to support the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state.
A BJP delegation, comprising among others its general secretary Arun Singh, spokesperson Sambit Patra and former Odisha party chief K V Singh Deo, alleged to the commission that the two officials were "working in connivance with the ruling party".
The Assembly bypoll is due in Bijepur in Bargarh, following the death of its Congress MLA, Subal Sahu.

The BJP, in a memorandum to the EC, pointed out that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD had not won from Bijepur since 2004 and claimed that this time around, winning the seat had become a prestige issue for the ruling party.
"The ruling party is taking umpteen measures to woo the voters. The collector and SP have become the main instruments of propagating the policies in the constituency where the bypoll may be declared," the memorandum said, urging the poll panel to use its powers to transfer the officials.