HC rejects minister's plea to dismiss poll petition

The Orissa High Court today dismissed a plea by state minister Sanjay Dasburma not to entertain and reject at the threshold a petition challenging his elections to the state Assembly.
Senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, who had lost to Dasbarma by a margin of 1341 votes in the 2014 assembly polls in Brahmagiri seat, had moved the HC urging it to declare the election of the BJD candidate as void on the ground that the poll processes were completely vitiated.
Dasburma, however, moved a miscellaneous petition for dismissal of the election petition at the threshold without delving into the merits of the case.

Rejecting Dasburma's contentions, Justice Shatrughna Pujahari observed that the election dispute raised by Mohapatra required to be decided on merits.
Mohapatra has in his petition alleged that the poll processes in Brahmagiri segment were completely vitiated due to non-observance of the provisions of Representation of People Act, 1951, Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and instructions and guidelines issued by the Election Commission for free and fair election.
He had also alleged largescale booth-capturing and rigging of votes during the polls.