Bhubaneswar: A court in Odisha’s Puri district has dismissed Delang Panchayat Samiti (block) chairperson Basanti Sahu from her post for violating the two-child norm of the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act.

The Civil Judge-cum-Election Tribunal in Puri district has also nullified the election of Sahu as the Panchayat Samiti member of Harirajpur under Delang block under the same clause.

Sahu had been elected as the Panchayat Samiti member of Harirajpur during the three-tier Panchayat elections in Odisha in 2022. She was subsequently elected as the chairperson of Delang block.

However, Sahu’s election as the Panchayat Samiti member of Harirajpur as well as chairperson of Delang block was challenged in the court on the grounds of violation of two-child norm of the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act.

It was alleged that Sahu has three children and she was not eligible to fight the Panchayat elections in the state.

Sahu has been associated with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for last several years and her dismissal from the post of Delang block chairperson came as a big jolt to the regional party in Pipli Assembly segment in Odisha.

Sahu’s lawyer, meanwhile, said they will approach the higher court challenging her dismissal as the chairperson of Delang block.