BHUBANESWAR: Three days ahead of the by-election to Pipili Assembly constituency, Congress candidate Ajit Mangaraj passed away while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in a private hospital of the city here on Wednesday.
The untimely death of Mangaraj, 53, was confirmed by Apollo Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition on April 9 after testing positive.
Mangaraj was re-nominated for the by-poll by the Congress despite forfeiting his deposit in the 2019 election. With the demise of the Congress candidate, the Pipili by-election is likely to be countermanded or adjourned. The Election Commission will take a final call on the by-poll after receiving a report from the
returning officer about the death of the Congress candidate.
The Chief Electoral Officer SK Lohani said, the Election Commission would be intimated about the matter. It will take a call, he said. As per Section 52 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, “If a candidate set up by a recognised political party, dies as a contesting candidate and a report of his death is received before the commencement of the poll, the returning officer shall, upon being satisfied about the fact of the death of the candidate, by order, announce an adjournment of the poll to a date to be notified later and report the fact to the Election Commission.”
After receiving report from the returning officer, the Election Commission will call upon the recognised political party, whose candidate has died, to nominate another candidate for the by-poll within seven days of issue of notice and the provisions of other sections (from 30 to 37) will also apply to other nominations.
The returning officer will again prepare and publish a fresh list of contesting candidates so as to include the name of the candidates who have been validly nominated.
The death of Mangaraj was condoled by Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, president of Pradesh Congress Committee Niranjan Patnaik and several leaders of all political parties. Union Ministers Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, AICC secretary G Rudra Raju, several MLAs and leaders of Congress and many well wishers of Mangaraj visited the hospital and paid their their last respects.