The Orissa High Court on Wednesday dismissed the election petition challenging the election of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Sambalpur constituency.
Pradhan, represented by a team of lawyers, had filed an Interlocutory Application (IA) seeking dismissal of the election petition filed by Dr. Subash Mohapatra, who had contested his election as a Member of Parliament.
With the Court allowing the IA, the election petition against Pradhan now stands null and void.
Pradhan, who returned to direct electoral politics after a 15-year hiatus, had won the Lok Sabha election in June 2024 from Sambalpur, the political nerve centre of western Odisha.
It may be recalled that the High Court had admitted the election petition on 23 August 2024 and had issued notice to Pradhan.
The Court observed that despite being given ample opportunity, the Election Petitioner failed to file any written objection opposing the prayers in the IA.
“Hence, this Court was constrained to consider this application in the absence of any written objection filed by the Election Petitioner,” Justice SK Mishra stated in the order.
The Court further noted that the petition lacked specific averments or supporting documents to establish a defined “corrupt practice” under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. Therefore, the Election Petitioner had failed to disclose any material facts warranting a trial.
Accordingly, the prayer in the IA seeking rejection of the election petition under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure was allowed.
The Court directed the office to communicate the substance of the order to the Election Commission and the Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly at the earliest, and to send an authenticated copy of the order to the Election Commission in accordance with Section 103 of the Representation of the People Act, read with Rule 16 of Chapter XXXIII of the High Court of Orissa Rules, 1948, Justice Mishra concluded.