Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, Sambit Patra, voiced serious concerns on Saturday regarding malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at multiple polling stations in Puri, urging the Election Commission to take immediate action.
Polling is currently underway in six Lok Sabha seats and forty-two assembly constituencies in Odisha as part of the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Patra emphasized that voters, including senior citizens, were experiencing significant delays, with some waiting up to two hours to cast their ballots.
“For 2 hours people are waiting here to cast their vote, they are going back. Up till now, the EVM machine is not working. The Election Commission should definitely take action on this and give an extension of time,” Patra stated. He added, “I am still waiting outside my booth, senior citizens are going back. People think that this is strategically being done. This is not the right thing in this festival of democracy. The Election Commission wants people to vote. It must take action on this.”
Earlier today, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra offered prayers at a temple in Puri. Speaking to the media, he said, “I have offered prayers before casting my vote. I want to appeal to people to come out and cast their votes. I have the blessings of my family. I want to thank BJP and PM Modi for supporting and blessing me.”
Recently, just days before the elections in his constituency, Patra faced controversy after making a remark that sparked significant criticism from the opposition. He told a local news channel that “Lord Jagannath is a devotee of PM Modi,” a statement he later referred to as a “slip of the tongue.” Following this, Patra announced a three-day fast, stating he would offer penance to Lord Jagannath as an apology.
Notably, BJP leader Sambit Patra is contesting from the Puri Lok Sabha seat against BJD leader Arup Patnaik and Congress candidate Jay Narayan Patnaik. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s Pinaki Misra defeated BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. In that election, the BJD won the majority of seats in the state, while the BJP and the Congress trailed behind. The BJD secured 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second with 8 seats, and the Congress won only one seat.