Sucharita Mohanty, the nominee for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, has decided not to contest in the upcoming election due to insufficient financial support

BHUBANESWAR: Sucharita Mohanty, Congress’s nominee for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, has withdrawn from the race, citing inadequate financial backing from the party, dealing a blow to their campaign.

While the voting for the Puri Lok Sabha seat and its seven assembly segments is scheduled for May 25, the deadline for filing nominations is May 6. The BJD’s Arup Patnaik and BJP’s Sambit Patra have already filed their nominations.

Mohanty had not yet filed her nomination papers.

“I sent an email to the party leadership on Friday night, informing them of my decision not to contest due to zero funding from the party. I have returned the party ticket,” said Mohanty on Saturday.

In a last-ditch effort to secure funds, Mohanty launched a crowdfunding campaign, sharing a UPI QR code on her social media platforms, and seeking donations. She explained that due to the Congress party’s financial difficulties, her only option was to reach out to donors for support.

“Since I was unable to raise funds independently, I appealed to the party for financial assistance. When my efforts failed, I decided not to contest,” Mohanty stated. She had previously contested unsuccessfully for the Puri parliamentary seat in 2014.