Sitting Talcher MlA and BJD nominee for the current polls from the Talcher Assembly constituency Braja Pradhan has courted controversy for furnishing false and contradictory information in his affidavit during the filingof his nominations.
Challenging the veracity of the data provided by Pradhan in his affidavit, lawyer and journalist Purna Chandra Sahu has urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the district Collectors of Angul and Dhenkanal to get the case probed and cancel Pradhan’s nomination papers on ground of furnishing wrong and fabricated information.
Pradhan had submitted his nominations as a BJD candidate in Talcher Assembly constituency before the Returning Officer cum Sub- Collector of Talcher on March 26 last.
Sahu mentioned that Pradhan filed his nominations as a candidate of the BJD for 60-Talcher Assembly seat on March 26 last and his nomination papers have been declared valid by the RO, Talcher. But the same candidate had filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for 60- Talcher Assembly seat on April 3 in 2009. Both the affidavits filed by Pradhan are contradictory so far as ancestral or inherited properties mentioned in both are concerned.
Besides, in his latest affidavit, Pradhan has stated that he passed matriculation in 1992, passed ITI from Industrial Training Institute, Talcher in 1995 and +2 from Mahabirod College in Dhenkanal district in 1996. Here, it may be stated that +2 is a two years course and when he passed ITI from Talcher in 1995, how could he pass a two-year course the next yearIJ Besides, the college he has mentioned is in Kamakshyanagar Sub Division of Dhenkanal district which is some 54 km from Talcher. How Pradhan was attending classes when he was doing ITI at Talcher at the same time, questioned Sahu.
Sahu said that Pradhan has stated in form —26, part
—A column (F) that a GR case bearing No 191/2006 is in his name and the proceeding of the case has been stayed by the High Court of Odisha. But it is not true, maintained Sahu.