Bhubaneswar Club President post: Pradeep Jena’s election challenged in PIL

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on Friday in the Orissa High Court against Pradeep Kumar Jena, Chairman of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), challenging his election as the President of Bhubaneswar Club.

Also Read: Pradeep Jena pips Asit Tripathy to be elected as President of Bhubaneswar Club

The petition, filed by journalist Subrat Kumar Tripathy, alleges that Jena’s acceptance of the club’s top post while holding a statutory position as the OERC chief amounts to a violation of the Odisha Electricity Reform Act and the Indian Electricity Act.

The petitioner argued that the dual role compromises the neutrality expected from the head of a regulatory authority and conflicts with ethical governance norms.

The PIL seeks judicial intervention to determine whether such an elite appointment is legally permissible and demands Jena’s removal from the club president post if it is found to be in contravention of the law.

No official response has been received from Pradeep Jena regarding the allegations or the legal challenge.

Worth mentioning, Pradeep Jena had emerged victorious in the high-profile Bhubaneswar Club elections, securing the position of President on September 21. Jena had defeated Asit Tripathy in a closely contested battle. The presidential race had witnessed a powerful face-off between two former Chief Secretaries, Asit Tripathy and Pradeep Jena.

Bhubaneswar Club had witnessed the toughest electoral battle between two candidates for the president post since its inception in 1949. Jena had won the keenly contested election by a margin of 18-20 votes.

"I would like to thank all the members of the club. I could not make a big campaign. I was only able to contact all the members telephonically. I had called nearly 1600 people. I believed in directly approaching the people and leaving it to them. I respect the decision of all the members," Jena had said after winning the election.