Bhubaneswar, March 16 -- The controversy surrounding the vote cast by BJP MLA Upasna Mohapatra during the Rajya Sabha election in the OdishaLegislative Assembly intensified on Monday after Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik questioned the validity of the vote.

The dispute stems from allegations of overwriting on the ballot paper and the subsequent issuance of a second ballot to the Brahmagiri legislator.

Reacting to the development, Patnaik alleged that Mohapatra's vote had been accepted in violation of election rules and criticised the conduct of the officials supervising the voting process.

"The lady MLA of Brahmagiri made a clear mistake while voting, but the officer present in the voting room, who was in charge, illegally acce...