Orissa HC Annuls Election Of Congress MLA Mohd Moquim In False Affidavit Case

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Monday annulled the election of Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim from Barabati-Cuttack constituency for failing to furnish detailed information about criminal cases against in an affidavit while filing nomination.

The High Court declared the election of Moquim from Barabati-Cuttack constituency in 2019 null and void as he failed to furnish detailed information.

BJD leader Debashish Samantaray had filed a petition in the High Court in 2019 challenging the election of Moquim on the ground that he had suppressed material facts with respect to the criminal cases pending against him while filing his nomination papers.

Samantaray, who was defeated by Moquim in the 2019 Assembly election in Barabati-Cuttack constituency, had further alleged in the petition that the Congress candidate did not disclose correct facts about his assets and liabilities.

Samantaray, now a Rajya Sabha member of BJD, had lost to Moquim in the Cuttack-Babarati assembly constituency in the 2019 polls.

In his petition filed on July 3, 2019, the BJD leader claimed that some of the columns prescribed in the declaration paper were struck down by Moquim which required declaration of all the criminal cases against a candidate.

While seeking direction declaring his election null and void and asking the Election Commission for fresh polls, the petition has further cited that Moquim had also not disclosed correct facts about his assets and liabilities. The HC had framed 36 issues for consideration in the election case.

It may be noted here that Moquim had been suspended from Congress last year for alleged anti-party activities. The suspension was revoked by the party in January this year.