Odisha: BJP MLA Prasanta Jagadev Arrested for Damaging EVM in Polling Booth

Sitting MLA Prasanta Jagadev, who is BJP contesting candidate from Khurda in the Odisha Assembly Election, was arrested after the Presiding Officer made a police complaint saying that Jagadev had vandalised the electronic voting machine (EVM) in the polling booth. In 2022 also, Jagadev, who was then in BJD, was arrested for driving his SUV into a crowd of people.

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) : BJP MLA candidate Prasanta Jagadev was arrested for allegedly damaging an EVM at a polling booth in Odisha's Khordha district during the third phase of polling held in Odisha on Saturday.

Chilika MLA and BJP candidate Jagadev had gone to the booth along with his wife to cast vote during which he allegedly vandalized the EVM. On the basis of a complaint filed by the concerned Presiding Officer, Police detained Jagadev for questioning and later arrested him. He has been sent to judicial custody.

The ruling BJD leaders had urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for taking strict action against Jagadev. However, some villagers of Kaunripatana claimed that the allegations levelled against the MLA were politically motivated.

In the past, the two-time MLA Prasanta Jagadev, who was earlier in the BJD, was arrested in March 2022 for allegedly ploughing his SUV into a crowd of people mostly consisting of BJP supporters outside Banapur block office in Khordha in the presence of local police. After this he was expelled from the ruling BJD. He later joined the BJP and got ticket for 2024 assembly polls from Khordha seat.

Jagadev was elected to Odisha Assembly from Chilika seat on BJD ticket in 2019 Assembly election.

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