Bhubaneswar, Jan 15: Gandhian outfits have urged the people of Odisha for a free and fair Rural-Body election.

In a press release ventilated on behalf of the Consortium of Gandhian organizations on Saturday, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Utkal Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Rastriya Yuva Sangathan, and Sarva Seva Sangha have appealed to the public to opt for suitable candidates among them on the basis of ‘People’s Choice’ and project the most befitting ones in the ensuing Panchayat election.

The release read the Indian Constitution has given no Party emblem to the candidates who contest the rural body elections. Especially, candidates for the Ward Member, Sarpanch, Samiti Member, and Block Chairman should be fielded with no affiliation of any political parties.

However, in practice, a lot of politically active candidates having direct or indirect allies with political parties, file nominations to contest for the Sarpanch, Samitee Member, and Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti. As a result, real public opinion will not be reflected in the coming election whereas the political people will win the power games easily.

Thus, the outfits have appealed to the rural voters to nominate candidates unanimously and file nominations of the best ones among them. In no way they should be preoccupied or biased by the political parties and fistful leaders, who may hijack the all-round development of the Gram Panchayats, said the release.