‘Congress denied me funding’: Party’s Puri Lok Sabha candidate drops out of contest

In a blow to the Congress ahead of the elections in Odisha, its Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sucharita Mohanty returned her poll party ticket citing the alleged denial of funding by the party.

Mohanty has sent a mail to Congress general secretary, for organisation K C Venugopal saying that without party funding it will not be possible to campaign in Puri.

“Our campaign in Puri parliamentary constituency has been hit hard because the party has denied me funding. AICC Odisha in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar ji categorically asked me to fend for myself. I was a salaried professional journalist who entered electoral politics 10 years ago. I have given all I have into my campaign in Puri,” Mohanty wrote.

Mohanty told The Indian Express that she had requested the leadership to change some of the candidates in the seven Assembly segments that come under the Puri Lok Sabha seat. But this too was not considered, she added. The Lok Sabha and Assembly polls are simultaneously held in Odisha.

Sources in the state Congress said the party would discuss the issue with the high command. The last date for filing nominations in Odisha is May 6.

Puri is among the high-profile battles, with the BJP candidate being its national spokesperson Sambit Patra and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) fielding former Mumbai Police commissioner Arup Patnaik.

In 2019, the Congress secured only 3.94% of the vote share (44,734 votes) in Puri. This was way down from 2014 when Mohanty who had contested back then secured 18.5% of the vote share and finished second.

Facing a fund crunch, Mohanty, who is the daughter of freedom fighter and former Congress leader Braja Mohan Mohanty, last week launched a “donation drive” to seek financial help from the public to