Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Dec 19: Former minister, Abhayachandra Jain, accused the BJP candidates fielded in the gram panchayat election of misusing the services of government officials to their advantage and indulging in electoral irregularities. He warned that if the officials, under pressure from the ruling party, violate rules and law, he would stage a dharna opposite the office of the deputy commissioner of the district.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday December 18, he alleged that in the Moodushedde gram panchayat election, the panchayat development officer had rejected the nomination papers of the Congress candidate who was to be fielded against the former panchayat president, who is a BJP candidate. "In the presence of the electoral officer, the papers were signed. At the time of scrutiny of nominations, the same nomination papers were rejected by saying that the space where the signature was put was not right," he claimed.

Jain said that the nomination was rejected by the electoral officer because of the pressure of the BJP candidate against whom the said Congress candidate was to be fielded.

Block Congress president, Valerian Sequeira, was present.