Congress candidate Sucharita Mohanty, who was slated to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Puri constituency in Odisha, has decided to opt out of the race, citing a lack of party funding support. Mohanty, daughter of former Congress MP Brajamohan Mohanty, expressed her disappointment in a letter to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, highlighting her struggles to sustain an impactful campaign due to financial constraints.
Despite her relentless efforts, including a public donation drive and a significant reduction in campaign spending, Mohanty found it an uphill battle to gather sufficient funds for her election campaign. She alleged that the state Congress leadership, including Ajoy Kumar, instructed her to rely on her resources, leaving her in a position where she was unable to conduct a robust campaign in the Puri Lok Sabha constituency.
In her letter dated May 3, Mohanty lamented the party’s failure to provide adequate funding, which she believed was essential for a successful campaign. She regretted the inability to carry out a winning campaign in Puri without party support and returned the Congress ticket for the parliamentary constituency.
Sucharita Mohanty’s decision to withdraw from the race comes at a crucial time, just before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, scheduled to be held in four phases on May 13, 20, 25, and June 1. Her withdrawal underscores the immediate and significant challenges faced by political candidates, particularly in mobilizing resources for electoral campaigns.
Responding to her decision, Mohanty spoke to media news agency, reiterating her stance on the lack of party funding and expressing dissatisfaction with the selection of candidates in certain Assembly segments. She cited these factors as contributing to her inability to campaign effectively for the Puri Lok Sabha seat.
#WATCH | Congress candidate from Puri parliamentary constituency Sucharita Mohanty says, "I have returned the ticket because the party was not able to fund me. Another reason is that in some of the seats in 7 Assembly segments, winnable candidates have not been given the ticket.… pic.twitter.com/xNpQslvDQy
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2024
Historically dominated by the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Puri constituency has witnessed intense political competition in recent years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJD’s Pinaki Mishra emerged victorious with over 500,000 votes, while the BJP’s Sambit Patra secured the second position.
Earlier, Akshay Kanti Bam’s unexpected shift from Congress to BJP in the Indore Lok Sabha race echoed recent turmoil in Surat, showcasing internal challenges within Congress. This move strengthened BJP’s electoral foothold and underscores the intricate dynamics of Indian politics, with parties grappling to preserve unity amid shifting allegiances. The BJP’s strategic successes in Surat and Indore signal its growing influence as the election season unfolds, shaping the larger political discourse nationwide.
BJP’s Mukesh Dalal secured an uncontested victory in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency of Gujarat. This unusual outcome followed the rejection of nominations from Congress contenders Nilesh Kumbhani and Suresh Padsala by the Election Commission.
