Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 15 : BJP MLA Ashwini Sarangi said the party legislators visited Paradip ahead of Rajya Sabha elections to familiarise themselves with the voting process and ensure there are no errors during polling.
Speaking to ANI, Sarangi said the visit was part of a preparation exercise since many MLAs would be voting in the Rajya Sabha elections for the first time.
"We have a Rajya Sabha election, so we came here to see where and how to vote. We came to practice so that no one makes any mistakes, as it is our first time in the assembly," he said.
He further dismissed speculation about cross-voting during the elections. "Everyone will vote on their own discretion, so there is no question of cross-voting," Sarangi added.
The preparations come ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16, when polling will take place for seats across several states.
Earlier, Congress leader Ramachandra Kadam said party members had participated in a training session in Bhubaneswar to understand the voting arrangements inside the Assembly. According to Kadam, officials briefed MLAs on the entire process, including seating arrangements and the role of polling staff.
"We visited today for the mock drill; the PCC President, our MLA Sagar, and the entire team came together, and the Secretary walked us through everything. The Presiding Officer demonstrated how the actual process would be conducted, showing us the seating arrangements, where the reserve staff would be positioned, and where the agents would sit," Kadam said.
Meanwhile, Naveen Patnaik, chief of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), also held a meeting with party leaders in Bhubaneswar to discuss preparations for the elections and raised concerns over alleged attempts at horse-trading.
"Our party MLAs and all of us have just had a meeting with the concerned officers about the process of the elections for the upcoming Rajya Sabha. The BJP and their three Rajya Sabha candidates are trying their best to engage in horse trading, which is an offence to win this democratic election," Patnaik said.
Polling for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha will be held on March 16 across 10 states to fill 37 seats, with the counting of votes scheduled for the same day at 5 pm.
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