In a significant setback for the Congress party in Odisha, Sucharita Mohanty, the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Puri, has decided to refrain from contesting the upcoming election citing inadequate funding support from the party. Mohanty expressed her grievances in a letter addressed to AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, highlighting the financial constraints hindering her campaign efforts.

Mohanty lamented the lack of funding from the party, indicating that it has severely impacted their campaign in the Puri Parliamentary Constituency. She revealed that despite her efforts to seek financial assistance, she was instructed by AICC Odisha In-Charge, Dr. Ajoy Kumar, to manage her campaign expenses independently.

The Congress candidate elucidated her personal financial situation, disclosing that she had already depleted her savings in support of her campaign. Despite attempting alternative avenues such as public donation drives and minimizing projected campaign spending, Mohanty asserted her inability to continue without adequate financial backing.

Remarkably, Mohanty has refrained from filing her nomination for the Lok Sabha election amidst her funding woes, while competitors from rival parties, including BJD’s Arup Patnaik and BJP’s Sambit Patra, have already submitted their nomination papers for the Odisha seat.

In parallel developments, the Election Commission has taken action against senior Odisha bureaucrat Sujata R Kartikeyan, wife of BJD leader V K Pandian, transferring her to a non-public dealing department following allegations of misuse of public office. Kartikeyan, who held the position of commissioner-cum-secretary in the Department of Mission Shakti, Odisha, was swiftly reassigned amidst complaints of alleged misconduct. Pandian, a close aide of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has found himself embroiled in controversy following the Election Commission’s intervention.