Odisha: Congress' Puri Candidate Sucharita Mohanty Returns Ticket, Says Party Denied Funding

Odisha: Days ahead of the third phase polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Congress faced another big setback as its Puri candidate, Sucharita Mohanty, has stepped back and returned ticket to the party. Talking to the media, Mohanty said she doesn't have enough funds and the party is not backing her financially. In her letter (via email), Sucharita Mohanty informed Congress general secretary KC Venugopal that her Lok Sabha campaign has been hit hard claiming the state unit denied funds.

Sucharita Mohanty is the daughter of former Congress MP Brajamohan Mohanty.

"I was a salaried professional journalist who entered electoral politics 10 years ago. I have given all I have into my campaign in Puri. I tried a public donation drive to support my campaign for progressive politics without much success so far. I also tried to cut down the projected campaign spending to the minimum," Mohanty said in her letter.

Facing difficulties in raising funds independently, the Congress leader reached out to various senior party members, including those in the central leadership, seeking financial support for a robust campaign in the Puri Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP has field party spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra.

"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," she added.