Odishatv Bureau
Cuttack: The High Court today rejected plea by Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai to drop the case in connection with the Sukinda assembly election. The single judge bench of Justice R N Biswal said in an interim order said that the hearing in the case would continue in the court. Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai had made the plea under CPC order-7 and Rule 17 and also under Clause 87 of the Peoples` Representative Act.

The defeated candidate of the Congress Sarat Rout moved the High Court to declare the election of Prafulla Ghadai as null and void in the last election from the Sukinda assembly segment alleging large-scale irregularities. Sarat Rout in his petition alleged that the ballot papers contained the name of Dolagovind Mahant despite his death before voting took place and Prafulla Ghadai in his nomination papers had made a wrong affidavit about his permanent residence though he was not a native of Sukinda. Justice passed the interim order on the last day of his service in the High Court.

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