Odisha polls: Congress MLA candidate denies party ticket

Bhubaneswar: After former Chief Minister J B Patnaik’s son Pruthvi Ballav Patnaik declined the offer to contest for Begunia assembly seat as a Congress candidate in the impending elections, another Congress leader followed suit.

Former Pipili MLA Yudhistir Samantaray has expressed his unwillingness today to be a candidate for Pipili in the assembly polls.

Also read: ‘Pruthvi not to contest from Begunia Assembly seat’

According to sources, Samantaray has alleged that grave injustice has been done to him in the party, targeting OPCC chief Niranjan Patnaik. Even though he is a former MLA, he has been unfairly treated in the party, he revealed.

His withdrawal from candidature has put Congress in a tough spot to find a replacement nominee. Samantaray would have locked horns with BJP’s Pradeep Maharathy and BJP’s Ashrit Pattnayak in the upcoming assembly elections.