Odisha BJP seeks Governor SC Jamir's intervention in Naveen Patnaik poll expenditure case

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha BJP on Saturday sought Governor SC Jamir’s intervention in the alleged misuse of official machinery by the BJD government to defend a poll expenditure case against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. [caption id=“attachment_3864629” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Naveen Patnaik. PTI[/caption] A BJP delegation led by party’s state vice-president Samir Mohanty met Governor SC Jamir and drew his attention on the alleged discrepancies in the poll expenses of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the BJD, the party he leads. “We have also apprised the governor about how the government advocates pleaded for BJD’s MLA from Hinjili, Naveen Patnaik. It is a case against Patnaik as an MLA and he should defend himself by engaging private lawyers. But the state’s advocate general and others state lawyers are representing Patnaik in the high court,” Mohanty said. The BJP also alleged that Ganjam district collector was “misused” by the government to work in favour of Naveen Patnaik. On Friday, the BJP had moved the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a probe into alleged dubious poll funding by Patnaik. The saffron party has also moved the Election Commission and Income Tax department while highlighting the false poll affidavit allegedly made by Patnaik. The BJP has demanded disqualification of Patnaik as a legislator for allegedly filing a false poll affidavit.