Trouble mounted for Nayagarh MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo after the Supreme Court dismissed his plea challenging the Orissa High Court’s order to proceed with a poll petition against his 2024 Assembly election victory.
The apex court directed the Orissa High Court to complete the hearing within six months. The petition was filed by BJP candidate Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, who contested Sahoo’s election from the Nayagarh constituency. Singh alleged that the Returning Officer improperly accepted Sahoo’s nomination papers despite non‑compliance with statutory provisions and sought to have his election declared void.
Earlier, the Orissa High Court had refused to dismiss the petition without a detailed hearing. Sahoo then approached the Supreme Court seeking dismissal, but the apex court rejected his appeal, allowing the case to continue.
Sahoo, a senior BJD leader, secured his fifth consecutive victory from Nayagarh in 2024, defeating Singh by a narrow margin of 439 votes. The Supreme Court’s order now paves the way for a full hearing of the election petition before the High Court.
