Centre vs state probes spice up panchayat poll trail in Odisha

CBI raids people linked to BJD; state authorities probe a Union minister's relative

Even as rural Odisha is engulfed in a shrill campaign for panchayat polls in the state, the spark for the political cacophony has come from a different source: the investigating agencies working under the central and state governments.

Weeks before the poll dates were announced, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charged up the atmosphere by issuing summons and conducting raids on people linked to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam.

The state disposition has turned the tables on its rivals through raids on the business establishment of a relative of Union minister Dharmendra