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In a move that has significantly impacted the Congress party's campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Sucharita Mohanty, the party's candidate from Puri constituency in the state of Odisha, has returned her party ticket.
This unexpected decision, especially given her competition against BJP's national spokesperson, Sambit Patra, has left the Congress party in a challenging position as it contests the elections alone in Odisha.
According to reports, Sucharita has returned her ticket to the Congress Organization General Secretary, KC Venugopal, citing the lack of funds to contest the elections. In a letter addressed to Venugopal, she expressed her concerns about the lack of funding and stated that it has badly affected her election campaign in Puri.
Sucharita has further stated that AICC Odisha in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar has clearly said that she should take up the responsibility of campaigning herself. She also mentioned that she was a salaried journalist who entered politics ten years ago and gave her all to her campaign in Puri. She even ran a public donation campaign to support her election campaign but has yet to achieve much success in raising funds.
With the voting for the Puri Lok Sabha seat scheduled for May 25 in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Sucharita's decision to return the ticket has come at a crucial time. This unexpected turn of events has posed a significant challenge for the Congress party, especially as BJP's Arup Patnaik and Sambit Patra have already filed their nominations, and Mohanty's nomination is still pending.
It is regretful that the party's refusal to provide funding has led to Sucharita's decision to return the ticket for the Puri parliamentary constituency. She has expressed her disappointment in not being able to campaign without adequate funding and has stated that it will only be possible to campaign in Puri with the party's support.
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