Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: Former MLA from Athgarh Assembly constituency Ramesh Rout, whose election was declared null and void by the Supreme Court, will not be entitled to pension benefits as an elected representative.

Rout was a member of the Assembly between 2009 and 2011. After his election was countermanded, Ranendra Pratap Swain of the BJD had won the by-poll in March 2012.

Rout’s application for pension benefits, made in April this year, was rejected by the Assembly secretariat.

“As his election as a member of the state Assembly was declared void by the Supreme Court, the Assembly has decided not to extend pension facilities to him.”

Rout won the Athgarh Assembly seat as an Independent candidate in the 2009 election.

However, his election was challenged by his former mentor Ranendra Pratap Swain, whose nomination paper was rejected by the electoral officials because of technical faults.