Poll violence: a disturbing trend in Odisha

A disturbing feature of the ongoing four-phased Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha is the unprecedented violence during the polling process.

Interestingly, these incidents didn't include the Maoist-related disturbances that the state witnessed during the second phase of polling.

The repeated incidents of poll-related violence in different districts including state capital Bhubaneswar have become a matter of concern not only for authorities but also for the common citizens because Odisha had always remained by and large peaceful during elections.

“This is certainly a disturbing trend”, a senior official in the state home department said.

The violence includes four cases of murder of political activists besides clashes between supporters of different parties and murderous attack on candidates.

Of the four cases, the most 'brutal' was the killing of a political activist, Ramachandra Behera in Ghasipura in north Odisha's Keonjhar district.

Armed miscreants dragged him from his house and repeatedly stabbed him to death.

They chopped off both his hands and took them away. Four days later, the police recovered the hands from a pond.

Similarly, a senior BJP leader from coastal Khurda district, Manguli Jena was shot dead while he was returning home after campaigning for party nominee in Khurda town.

Police have arrested a few miscreants in connection with both the murder incidents.

As expected, both the ruling BJD and the BJP, who are fighting hard to capture the majority of the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, have blamed each other for the poll-related violence.

Both parties have moved the Election Commission over the issue.

While the BJD has accused the BJP of bringing “Bihar-like violence culture” to Odisha, the saffron party has charged the ruling regional-outfit of unleashing a reign of terror across the state, fearing defeat in the twin polls.