Yet another HC notice to Kandhamal BJD MP

Cuttack: Just a day after Kandhamal BJD MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh was issued a notice on a quo warranto writ petition, the Orissa High Court issued yet another notice to her on Thursday on an election petition filed by BJP leader and former MP Rudra Madhav Ray challenging her election as an MP.

Admitting the election petition, the single-judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath asked the MP to file her response by January 15 and posted the next date of hearing on January 22.

Ray, who had lost to Pratyusha in the October 15 by-poll, had challenged the election of the BJD leader stating that she automatically disqualifies to be an MP as she has not accepted the Indian citizenship yet.

Claiming that Pratyusha is a Nepalese citizen, Ray in his petition had said that Article 102(1)(d) of the Constitution clearly mentions that a person shall be disqualified for being chosen and for being a member of either House of Parliament if he or she is not a citizen of India.