Re-polling on February 19

PARADIP: Re-polling would be held in 10 wards in Bagadia panchayat under Kujang block where ballot boxes were thrown into a river after the third phase polling on Wednesday. Paradip police on Thursday retrieved all the 10 ballot boxes from the river.Sources said five candidates were contesting for sarpanch post in Bagadia panchayat under Kujang block.Among them were candidates backed by Biju Workers Union (BWU) and Paradip- Ersama Industrial Council Parishad for Bagadia panchayat.While Rani Tarai was backed by BWU, Anita Routray was supported by the Parishad.When polling was underway in five booths (booths 7,10,11,12 and 13) of Bagadia village, supporters of Anita led by her husband Rabi allegedly terrorised voters and asked them to cast their votes in her favour. Receiving information, Rani’s supporters allegedly barged into the booths, snatched the ballot boxes and threw them into a nearby river.They also took away ballot boxes from three booths in Jhimani village and threw them in the same river. Following the incidents, presiding officers registered FIRs in the Paradip police station and Paradip Lock police station.District Collector Narayan Chandra Jena who had written to the State Election Commission about the incidents, said re-polling would be held in 10 booths on February 19.