The Orissa High Court on Thursday adjourned to next week hearing on all petitions pertaining to the controversy on election funding expenses involving Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party BJD.
Sources said the court is likely to give its final verdict on all the petitions, including that of the main writ petition filed by social activist Subash Mohapatra, on July 31.
Earlier in the day, when Justice SK Mishra began hearing on the miscellaneous petition filed by the District Magistrate-cum-District Electoral Officer of Ganjam, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of Election Commission of India (ECI) AK Bose also appeared to argue the case on behalf of the ECI, which was issued a notice by the High Court last week.
Similarly, main petitioner Subash Mohapatra, through his counsel Narendra Hooda of the Supreme Court, also moved another miscellaneous petition on the day seeking deletion of all the three formal opposite parties from his writ petition.
Seeking a direction to the ECI for an early disposal of his representation, Mohapatra in his petition had arraigned the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer, the Ganjam District Magistrate and Naveen Patnaik as formal opposite parties while the ECI was the main opposite party.
Alleging gross discrepancies in the sworn statements of poll expenses of the Chief Minister and the BJD, Mohapatra in his representation to the ECI in June last year had urged it to take appropriate action against Naveen Patnaik and his party, of which he is the president, for allegedly misleading the ECI through false affidavits.
Arguments by the counsels of all parties, including that of the ASG of ECI, remained inconclusive on the day as the High Court adjourned hearings of all the petitions to Monday.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the BJP led by party national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thursday called on the Election Commission of India in New Delhi demanding disqualification of Naveen Patnaik as an MlA for allegedly filing a false poll affidavit.
The delegation also consisting BJP Hinjili candidate Debendra Mohapatra and MlA Rabi Nayak submitted documents to substantiate their claims.
Patra told reporters, “Naveen has filed a false poll affidavit and lied to people as well as the Election Commission as his poll affidavit shows Rs 13 lakh has been transferred to his bank account through RTGS. However, the statement of expenditure mentioned in the party’s affidavit says Naveen did not get funds through RTGS. Instead, Rs 16.48 lakh was transferred through bank cheque to Naveen’s account.”
Patra added that
filing false affidavit is interpreted as a crime and, therefore, the party delegation demanded disqualification of Patnaik as a MlA.
In reaction, Rajya Sabha member and BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the BJP is trying to defame the BJD and the Chief Minister. “After they failed in their strategy to use the media, the party has knocked at the doors of the Election Commission to tarnish our image,” Deb added.