Opposition demands recounting in Rourkela

ROURKELA: Ahead of the declaration of the panchayat poll results, the Opposition parties have demanded recounting of votes. They accused BJD of resorting to misuse of government machinery and manipulation of results.  A delegation of the Sundargarh units of CPI and CPM on Sunday met Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu and sought administrative intervention into the matter. The two Left parties alleged gross irregularities in counting and tabulation as vote figures were fudged at Bonai, Koida, Nuagaon, Kuanrmunda, Gurundia, Lefripara and Lathikata. They also claimed that valid votes of Opposition parties were unjustly declared void.  Likewise, Congress legislator Prafulla Majhi, Independent legislator George Tirkey along with Sundargarh and Rourkela units Congress presidents Dushmanta Naik and Nihar Ray sought recounting at Koida, Bonai, Lathikata, Kuanrmunda and Nuagaon blocks.  The Collector, however, denied the allegations and said that recounting would be allowed if the parties concerned present valid grounds.