Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev admitted to hospital amidst election dispute

Bhubaneswar, May 29: Prashant Jagdev, the MLA for Chilika and BJP's candidate for Khordha constituency, was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday due to illness.

Upon his lawyer's request, Jagdev was transferred from Khurda jail to SCB Medical College and Hospital at 4 am. His health had deteriorated while in jail, prompting the need for immediate medical attention. Currently, he is receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Medicine ward, according to hospital sources.

Jagdev's admission follows an incident where he allegedly tampered with an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at a polling booth while exercising his franchise during the third phase of polling in Odisha on May 25th. Subsequently, based on a complaint from the presiding officer, he was arrested and incarcerated on charges of damaging the EVM.

The arrest of the Chilika MLA sparked a dispute between the BJP and the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Aparajita Sarangi, a BJP leader, dismissed the allegations against Jagdev as unfounded, asserting that they were politically motivated. Conversely, the BJD lodged a complaint with the chief electoral officer (CEO), demanding stringent action against Jagdev.