Congress Announces New Candidate Amid Funding Controversy in Puri Lok Sabha Seat

Amid a funding controversy, the Congress selects a new candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat.

Unexpectedly, the Congress party declared Jay Narayan Patnaik as their nominee for the Puri Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha on Saturday night. Following her withdrawal from the election, Sucharita Mohanty said that the party had denied her campaign finances, which prompted her choice.

In an official statement, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal confirmed that party president Mallikarjun Kharge approved Patnaik’s candidature in place of Mohanty.

Sucharita Mohanty, the daughter of former Congress MP Brajamohan Mohanty, claimed in a mail to Venugopal that her campaign suffered due to lack of funding from the party. She alleged that Ajoy Kumar, the Congress in-charge of the state, explicitly asked her to fund her own campaign.

Mohanty, a former journalist who entered politics a decade ago, expressed her disappointment over the lack of financial support for her campaign. Despite her efforts to raise public donations and minimize campaign spending, she faced a significant fund crunch.

“It is clear that only fund crunch is holding us back from a winning campaign in Puri. I regret that without party funding, it won’t be possible to carry out the campaign in Puri. I, therefore, return the party ticket for the Puri Lok Sabha constituency herewith,” Mohanty stated in her mail.

Despite her withdrawal, Mohanty affirmed her loyalty to the Congress party. She also criticized the party for fielding weak candidates in the assembly segments under the Puri Lok Sabha constituency.

In response to Mohanty’s allegations, Ajoy Kumar assured that funds would be provided to a candidate when they launch the campaign and seriously fight on the ground.

The BJP has fielded its national spokesperson Sambit Patra in Puri, while the BJD candidate is ex-IPS Arup Patnaik, a former Mumbai Police commissioner.

The Puri constituency is set to vote on May 25.