Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) appointed more senior leaders as observers in blocks and municipality for the ensuing bypoll to Jharsuguda Assembly Constituency scheduled on May 10.

As per the office order by BJD President Naveen Patnaik, 12 leaders have been assigned for four blocks and one municipality ahead of the bypoll.

While BJD leader Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Tukuni Sahu have been appointed as observer for Kirmira Block, Niranjan Pujari and Saroj Meher have been given the charge as observer for Kolabira Block. Padmanav Behera and Arun Kumar Sahoo have been named as observer for Jharsuguda Block, Pratap Keshari Deb and Captain Dibya Shankar Mishra are the observers for Laikera Block.

Similarly, Pratap Jena, Puspendra Singh Deo, Snehangini Chhuria and Rita Sahu have been assigned as observer for Jharsuguda Municipality.

Earlier, BJD had appointed Prasanna Acharya, Devi Prasad Mishra and Sarada Prasad Nayak as observers for the upcoming Jharsuguda bypoll.

The bye-election to Jharsuguda Constituency is scheduled on May 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.

The bypoll was necessitated after the murder of Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das, who was State Health & Family Welfare Minister, on January 29. The BJD has fielded slain minister's daughter Dipali Das as its candidate for the bypoll.