Odisha's Khordha Police Conduct Flag March in Wake of Pre-Poll Violence in Banpur (ANI Video) Khordha(Odisha): The Khordha District police conducted a flag march on Sunday in the wake of pre-poll violence in the Banpur region of Khordha district that claimed the life of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker and left several others injured earlier.
Speaking to ANI about the flag march on Sunday, Superintendent of Police (SP) in the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Awinash Kumar, said, "Khordha Police conducted a flag march in Banpur and other regions of the district. In PS Banpur, 3 ASPs, 6 DSPs, 7 inspectors, and a company force took part in the flag march."
"The purpose of the flag march is to enable people to vote fearlessly. Those creating ruckus will be dealt with strictly. We have 153 booths in 71 locations, and CAPF will be deployed on all booths as per the instructions of the ECI," the official said.
Adding further, he said, "For elections, we will be having 10 company forces. Cash and liquor are being seized, and an investigation is being carried out. We are following a zero-tolerance policy."
This comes after a BJP worker was killed and several others injured in a clash with BJD supporters after pre-poll violence raised its ugly head in Banpur district, under Khallikote police limits, earlier. Chilika Assembly constituency and Puri Lok Sabha go into polls in the sixth phase of voting scheduled for May 25.
The Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the BJD-ruled state are being held across four phases - from May 13 to June 1. Polling for the first phase was conducted in 28 Assembly seats and four Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13. In the fifth phase, 35 Assembly seats and five Lok Sabha constituencies will vote on May 20, 42 Assembly segments and six Lok Sabha seats on May 25, and the remaining 42 Assembly seats and six Lok Sabha constituencies in the last phase on June 1.
The results will be out on June 4. In the last assembly elections in 2019, the BJD won 112 out of 146 seats, while the BJP had to settle for just 23 seats and the Congress finished at 9. In the Lok Sabha elections in the same year, the BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.
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