Bijepur bypoll: Hearing on 2014 election petition concludes

Cuttack: The hearing on a petition filed by senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya in 2014 following his defeat to late Congress MLA Subal Sahu in the general polls, concluded in Orissa High Court today.

While hearing on Acharya's election petition on Thursday after the family of Subal Sahu submitted the death certificate of the deceased legislator urging the HC to put an end to the case, the HC reserved its verdict stating that petition once filed cannot be withdrawn.

Acharya had filed the petition alleging lapses in conduct of polls and counting of votes in Bijepur Assembly constituency in the 2014 election. He had lost from the seat to Sahu by a margin of only 458 votes.

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As BJD has already announced its candidate for the constituency, Acharya remained silent in the Court and did not seek stay on the bypoll. Election Commission can now take a call on the dates of the bypoll soon, believe political analysts.