Bhubaneswar, May 25: Prashant Jagdev, BJP MLA candidate of Khurdha assembly constituency in Odisha, made headlines again recently for his disruptive actions during the ongoing elections.
According to reports, he barged into a polling booth in the Badakumari Panchayat of Bolagarh Block in Khurda district. His actions were quite extreme: he vandalized the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and fled the scene. Not stopping there, he also allegedly assaulted the presiding officer who tried to stop him.
Interestingly, BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP candidate Aparajita Sarangi was reportedly present at the polling booth when Jagdev carried out his destructive act. The police managed to intercept the vehicle in which Prasant Jagdev and Aparajita Sarangi were fleeing, leading to Jagdev’s detention for interrogation.
This isn’t the first time Prashant Jagdev has been in trouble. Previously, when he was BJD MLA from Chilika was arrested and jailed for beating up BJP’s town president. In another shocking incident, he attempted to mow down BJP supporters with his vehicle, resulting in injuries to more than 15 people in March 2022. Despite these controversies, switched parties and joined the BJP recently, which fielded him as a candidate in the assembly election from the Khurda constituency.
The ruling party in the state, BJD, has condemned Jagdev’s actions and demanded strict action against him. The Odisha Chief Electoral Officer has assured that an FIR will be registered against Jagdev, and the law will take its course. It remains to be seen how this incident will impact the ongoing elections and the political landscape in Odisha.
