CUTTACK: Acting on a petition challenging the election of Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi from Balasore Lok Sabha seat, the Orissa High Court on Friday issued notices to him and all other candidates who had contested in the polls last year.
On July 8, 2019, Mahammad Sahirulhak@Haque, a resident of Chandipur and voter of Balasore, filed an election petition. After a preliminary hearing on Friday, the single judge bench of Justice SK Sahoo fixed March 13 as of date for next hearing on the petition along with responses from all the candidates who had contested for the seat.
Sarangi had defeated BJD’s Rabindra Jena by a margin of 12,956 votes. INC’s Nabajyoti Patnaik and nine other candidates had contested for the seat.
Haque challenged the election of Sarangi on the ground that during filing of nomination papers he had not declared complete and correct information regarding his movable and immovable assets and criminal cases pending against him.
The petitioner has sought Court’s direction for declaring Sarangi’s election, as void and declaring his nearest rival of the BJD as elected from the Lok Sabha seat.