Court unseats Orissa legislator

The Orissa High Court declares the election of a Congress legislator as void citing irregularities in the conduct of the polls.

The Orissa High Court has declared the election of a Congress legislator as void citing irregularities in the conduct of the polls.

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The division bench Monday declared the election of Nimai Sarkar from the Malkangiri assembly constituency void saying the polls were not free and fair and rules were violated.

The court gave the ruling in response to a petition filed by Arabinda Dhali of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whom Sarkar defeated by 253 votes in the assembly election in 2004.

"It is a victory of the people who exercised their franchise," Dhali, who recently joined the Samajwadi Party, told IANS Monday.

Sarkar said he would move the Supreme Court against the high court order.

The strength of the Congress in the 147-member assembly stands reduced to 36 after the ruling.