Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen) Aug 9: The Orissa High Court has admitted a petition challenging the election of BJP MLA and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singhdeo from the Patnagarh Assembly constituency in the 2024 elections.
Singhdeo secured the Patnagarh seat by defeating his nearest competitor, Saroj Kumar Meher of the BJD, by a margin of 1,357 votes.
Meher, who contested the result, has requested the court to declare the election void. He argues that the returning officer improperly accepted Singhdeo’s nomination papers, citing non-compliance with statutory provisions. Meher also contends that Singhdeo failed to provide original affidavits with each set of nomination papers and did not accurately detail his movable and immovable assets or their values, according to Live & Law.
Following a preliminary hearing, Justice Ananda Chandra Behera of the single judge bench issued a notice to the BJP MLA. The court has scheduled the matter for August 30, where written submissions will be filed and issues will be settled.
