Cuttack: Orissa high court has kept alive a legal challenge to the 2024 election of Narla MLA Manorama Mohanty of BJD, admitting a petition by BJP candidate Aniruddha Pradhan seeking to take over the election case withdrawn by former Congress candidate Bhakta Charan Das.Justice Sashikanta Mishra, while hearing Pradhan’s petition on Oct 30, treated service of notice on Mohanty as sufficient after she reportedly refused to accept it. “Office note indicates that notice sent to the respondent (Manorama Mohanty) was refused. Hence, the same is treated as sufficient. List this matter on 11.11.2026,” the judge ordered.Pradhan, who finished third in the 2024 Assembly election from Narla, has sought permission to substitute himself as the petitioner in place of Das, who had challenged Mohanty’s election. The court had issued notice to the sitting BJD MLA on Aug 19. The BJP candidate has questioned the manner in which Das was allowed to withdraw his election petition, alleging that mandatory procedures under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, were not followed. He contended that no gazette notification, required under Sections 109(2), 110(3)(b) and 111 of the Act, was published following the withdrawal.Pradhan argued that the omission deprived him and other voters of an opportunity to object to the withdrawal or seek substitution. He relied on Section 110(3)(c), which allows a candidate who contested the election to seek substitution in place of a petitioner withdrawing an election challenge.He has also sought continuation of the original allegations against Mohanty, particularly that her nomination papers were improperly accepted because of alleged misinformation or suppression of material particulars about her educational qualification in the election affidavit. Pradhan claimed oral and documentary evidence had already been placed before the court and said the issue involved public interest.Das, who is also Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president and a former MP, had lost the Narla election to Mohanty by 5,205 votes. His election petition had reached the evidence stage, with two witnesses examined, before he sought withdrawal on March 30 following instructions from the party’s central leadership. Justice Mishra allowed the withdrawal the same day.
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