Odisha High court has again rejected appeal of state Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei to quash the election petition filed against him by his rival Congress candidate.
Mr Ghadei is presently facing a challenge over his 2009 election from Sukinda Assembly constituency as defeated Congress candidate Sarat Rout has challenged his election alleging double voting in some places during the poll Single-judge bench of Justice R N Biswal, who had rejected a similar plea of the veteran political leader last year, also turned down his another plea on Friday.
Mr Ghadei had approached the High court last year under order 6 Rule 16 of CPC to quash the election petition at admission level for not having sufficient materials against him which was then rejected by the court.
This time the Finance Minister had approached the High court under order 7 Rule 11 of CPC claiming that hearing of the petition against him shall not proceed for disclosure of certain vital portions of election matters.
The single bench however rejected the contention of the minister and ordered that the hearing of the petition filed against him by Congress leader Sarat Rout shall continue.
Mr Ghadei had defeated Rout by a margin of 2403 votes in April 2009 elections. But Rout had alleged that because of double voting by at least 3000 voters of BJD supporters, the ruling party candidate had won the polls.
Mr Rout had also further contended that there was double entry of as many as 5000 voters in the electoral roll of the Sukinda Assembly Constituency to help the ruling party candidate which was a clear violation of Representation of Peoples’ Act-1951.
