A Biju Janata Dal (BJD) delegation on Sunday met the chief electoral officer in Odisha and lodged a complaint against the Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu, for violating the model code of conduct while campaigning for the high-profile Dhamnagar bypoll.

Even two BJD Rajya Sabha members Dr Amar Patnaik and Dr Sasmit Patra met the Election Commission of India in New Delhi on Sunday.

The polling in the Dhamnagar constituency is scheduled on November 3 and there are two days left for the campaigning.

The BJD alleged that Tudu had given an assurance that the Government of India would take up Jal Shakti-related projects in Dhamnagar. The minister was even seen assuring people that he had already taken up various project-related issues with government officials. This has been interpreted as a violation of the model code of conduct by the BJD.

Senior BJD leader Pradeep Majhi said: “The minister should tell people what he had done for the tribals of the state, He has actually done nothing for them. Being a central minister he should not make false promises to influence the voters.”

Earlier, the party had also lodged a complaint about how the state BJP unit continues to harass, threaten and malign the Nari Shakti (women power) and women leadership of Odisha while campaigning in Dhamnagar.

“Odisha BJP has been circulating fake videos purportedly about the women SHG (self-help groups) members saying that they have a political role in the Dhamnagar bypoll. This is blatant maligning of the women SHG members,” said the BJD spokesperson Dr Lelin Mohanty.

On the other hand the BJP, the main opposition party in the state, has accused the BJD of distributing cash among voters through members of self-help groups (SHGs) in the Dhamnagar Assembly segment.

A BJP delegation met the Bhadrak district collector and demanded that the entire Dhamnagar area be handed over to the central police forces to ensure foolproof security during the polling. “Many leaders of the BJD from outside Bhadrak district have been campaigning in Dhamnagar. They are planning to distribute money just a day before polling. Dhamnagar’s border with other districts should be sealed,” said the BJP.

The BJP state president Samir Mohanty said: “BJD is in a state of nervousness.”

While Abanti Das, chairperson of Tihidi block, who has strong links with the women self-help groups is the BJD’s candidate, BJP has fielded Suraj Suryavanshi, the son of its former MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi whose death has led to the by-election. Rajendra Das, a former BJD leader and an independent candidate is also in the fray. Congress candidate Baba Harekrushna Sethi, is also putting up a good fight.

All the BJP stalwarts, including Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, have already campaigned for the BJP candidate. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to address the people of Dhamnagar in the virtual mode on October 31.