TALCHER:A woman, who claimed herself as wife of Talcher MLA Braj Kishore Pradhan, on Tuesday staged a dharna in front of his house here at Handidhua.
Accompanied by her sister, the woman from Khurda said she wanted Pradhan to accept her as his wife and her agitation had nothing to do with the by-poll.
The by-election to the councillor post in Talcher Municipality will be held on Wednesday. Villagers and family members of Pradhan opposed the presence of the woman leading to tension at the spot. Police had to rush to Pradhan’s house and persuade the woman to leave the place. In the commotion, she complained of uneasiness and had to be admitted to a nearby hospital. Later, she said she had come to Pradhan’s house to stay there as his wife and would return after the election is over.
The woman left Talcher in the afternoon after lodging a compliant in Chainpal outpost. In her complaint, she stated that Pradhan had married her in 2014 but has not accepted her as his wife. The woman also alleged that some villagers misbehaved with her during the demonstration and said she would come back to the village on May 11. Pradhan was not at his house when the woman came to the village.
Earlier, the woman had lodged a complaint in the Commissionerate Police and the National Human Rights Commission against Pradhan. The MLA, on the other hand, refuted the allegation and said it was a political ploy to defame him when the election is around.