Odisha panchayat polls: BJP workers set up watch tower to keep an eye on ballot boxes

BJP workers in Odisha's Keonjhar have built a bamboo watchtower, 20 feet high, outside the strong room to keep vigil. The workers are reportedly trying to prevent any possibility of tampering which may affect their chances in the Odisha panchayat polls.

The fifth and final phase of the three-tier panchayat polls concluded today in Odisha. The result will be out on Saturday, February 26. Meanwhile, some BJP workers have constructed a watch tower to keep an eye on ballot boxes.

BJP workers in Keonjhar district constructed a watch tower made of bamboo to keep a close watch on the strong room, alleging complicity by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) amid fears of tampering with the boxes.

The strong room is situated on the first floor of the building inside Harichandanpur government high school. The watch tower, 20 feet high and 10 ft wide, can handle the weight of at least five workers at a time. Around fifty workers are also seated on the ground near the watch tower to keep an eye on the strong room.

The workers have split their duty hours into two shifts. While one group has been assigned to keep a watch during the day, the other group keeps a tab during the night hours.

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Speaking to the media, BJP block coordinator of Harichandanpur, Sushant Kumar Mohanta said, "We were having difficulty seeing through the strong room from the ground, as a piece of white cloth was draped in front of the room where the ballot boxes are kept."

"So to check any possible tampering, we have been watching the strong room from the watch tower with 24 hours duty, till the counting day," he added.