Bhubaneswar: BJD leader Pritiranjan Gharai moved Orissa High Court today alleging that Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Minister and Sukinda BJP MLA Pradeep Bal Samanta had filed fake affidavit and suppressed facts in his nomination papers during the last Assembly election.

Allegedly, the Minister had furnished wrong information on his matriculation results.

Moreover, defeated BJD candidate Gharai stated in his petition that the BJP candidate is involved in illegal Ganja (cannabis) trading and wood smuggling. However, Bal Samanta has not mentioned this in his affidavit. Some labourers had also filed a case against the Minister alleging non-payment of their wages, which was not mentioned in the affidavit, Gharai’s legal counsel Upendra Samal said.

It is pertinent to mention, as many as 12 partisan and non-partisan candidates contested from Sukinda Assembly seat in 2024, including Rakhal Parida (Independent), Sandeep Chakra (Independent), Pradeep Bal Samanta (Bharatiya Janata Party), Pritiranjan Gharai (Biju Janata Dal), Bibhu Bhusan Rout (Indian National Congress), Sili Mallick (Bahujan Samaj Party), Dayalratan Mohanta (AJSUP), Dipak Kumar Nayak (Bharatiya Bikash Parishad), Lili Mahanta , Kulamani Patra (Independent), Gunamani Shaw (Independent), Ranajit Kumar Jamuda (Independent).

BJP-fielded candidate Pradeep Bal Samanta defeated his close contender BJD’s Pritiranjan Gharai.