Odisha CM urges EC to postpone bypoll in Patkura

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached the national capital to meet the Election Commission officials and urge them to postpone the Patkura assembly by-poll if cyclone Fani hits the state.

New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday requested the Election Commission to postpone the Patkura assembly election in view of cyclone Fani, which is likely to hit the Odisha coast on May 3.

Polling in Patkura Assembly is scheduled on May 19. Meeting Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, Patnaik suggested postponing the polls to a later date so that communities can work together in harmony and administration can focus on saving precious lives and valuable property.
He also requested to remove model code of conduct with regard to disaster management for all coastal districts of the state. Four-phase simultaneous polls have already ended in Odisha."In this backdrop, it is important that the model code of conduct with regard to disaster management be completely removed for all the coastal districts of the state so that the government can handle this situation keeping the safety of our people in mind," said the BJD president.The polling for the Patkura seat, which was supposed to be held in the fourth and final phase on April 29, was adjourned following the death of the BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla. The regional party has fielded Sabitri Agarwalla, wife of Bed Prakash, from the seat in Kendrapara.