Bhubaneswar, April 11 (PTI) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), accusing BJP leaders and candidates of defaming and harassing women ASHA, anganwadi, and Mission Shakti workers.

The party submitted a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO) outlining their concerns.

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According to the BJD, BJP leaders and candidates have allegedly adopted a dangerous strategy aimed at systematically targeting women grassroots workers in Odisha.

They alleged that ASHA and anganwadi workers, and leaders of Mission Shakti, are being falsely accused by BJP representatives in an attempt to influence them to support the saffron party's agenda in the upcoming elections.

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The party said these actions violate the Model Code of Conduct and urged the EC to take strong action against BJP leaders and candidates.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)