CUTTACK: The ongoing controversy over election fund took a new turn with Ganjam Collector on Monday filing an application before the Orissa High Court seeking a recall of the court’s order issuing a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI).
The HC had, on July 18, issued notice on a writ petition filed by Subash Mohapatra questioning the election expenditure of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
In the miscellaneous application, the Ganjam Collector submitted that the writ petition itself is not maintainable because the petitioner is neither a voter nor a resident of Hinjili Assembly constituency.
The Collector, who was opposite party no 3 in Mohapatra’s petition as District Election Officer of Ganjam, stated that it should have been an election dispute by any of the contestants or constituents which is not the case here.
The application also submitted that election records pertaining to the expenditure of candidates are destroyed after one year of the polls but in this case, the petition was filed before the HC after two years of the election.Citing the reasons, the Collector submitted to the HC that the order issuing notice to ECI be recalled.