BHUBANESWAR: Prashant Jagdev, a BJP MLA from Chilika who is currently contesting from the Khurda assembly segment, was arrested in Odisha‘s Khurda district for allegedly vandalizing an EVM.
The incident occurred on Saturday at booth 114 in Bolagad block’s Kaunripatna, where Jagdev is registered as a voter.
Due to a malfunctioning EVM, Jagdev had to wait in a queue for a long time to cast his vote, leading to a heated argument between him and the presiding officer.
During the altercation, Jagdev allegedly pulled the EVM from the table, causing it to fall and break.
Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said that the MLA was arrested based on a complaint filed by the presiding officer. Jagdev was subsequently sent to judicial custody by a court and is currently being held at the Khurda jail.
In addition to the Representation of People’s Act, he was also charged under various sections of the IPC.
The presiding officer’s complaint alleged that Jagdev disrupted the booth, hindered the voting process, and verbally abused the polling staff.
The incident took place during the simultaneous polling for six Lok Sabha seats and 42 assembly constituencies in the state on Saturday.
The police have requested the District Election Officer (DEO) to review the CCTV footage of the incident, and an investigation is ongoing. A BJP leader claimed that the allegations against Jagdev were politically motivated, alleging that the presiding officer had misbehaved with several voters, including the MLA.
Meanwhile, the state’s ruling BJD filed a complaint with the chief electoral officer (CEO), demanding strict action against Jagdev. BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra accused Jagdev of attacking the polling personnel and fleeing the scene by hiding in the vehicle of Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi.