Former Union Minister Dilip Ray He filed an election suit in the Orissa High Court. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Sarada Prasad Nayak As the MLA from Rourkela constituency, he has stopped campaigning for filing false affidavits and nomination papers.
Ray, who served as coal minister, was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the coal scam linked to irregularities in the allocation of mining blocks in Jharkhand in 1999.
In April this year, the Delhi High Court suspended his conviction and granted him partial relief to enable him to contest the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections.
The court noted that Ray is 71 years old. It also noted that the case has been subject to multiple appeals and cross-appeals, which means trials will take time and a decision is unlikely in the near future.
“If the applicant’s petition is not granted, he will lose the opportunity to stand for election and there will be irreparable consequences and irreparable damage to him to his political career and desire to serve his constituency…” The court said so.
After his conviction was suspended, he was fielded as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the Rourkela constituency.
As a result of the election, Nayak 64660 voteswhich 3552 votes More votes than Ray received, that is. 61108.
He is now challenging Nayak’s election, alleging that Nayak provided false or incomplete information in the affidavit he filed along with his election nomination.
He alleges that Nayak has not properly disclosed his assets, liabilities and the status of his purported interests.
