Odisha: BJD’s Bijepur bypoll candidate to file nomination on Feb 5

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Rita Sahu, wife of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu, will file her nomination paper on February 5 for the much-awaited Bijepur by-polls scheduled to be held on Feb 24.

BJD announced it today after Rita along with her supporters met party President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at latter’s residence (Naveen Niwas).

Sources said Naveen chaired a meeting at his residence formulating strategies for the by-elections which was necessitated following death of sitting Congress MLA Sahu on August 22 last year.

Also Read: Subal Sahu’s family joins BJD, wife to contest Bijepur bypoll

The meeting was attended by some senior leaders of the party including former Minister Prasanna Acharya, Debi Prasad Mishra, Prasanta Nanda, Pranab Prakash Das and party observer for Bargarh district Minister Prafulla Mallick.

“We are fully prepared for the election and our party will emerge victorious as people from the area shown immense support for our candiaste,” Acharya told reporters.

Till today, no other party, including Congress or BJP, declared their candidates for the polls.

Congress, however, formed a six-member committee to select a candidate for ensuing by-polls. The State unit of BJP, sources said, will announce its candidate in next few days.

Also Read:Odisha politics heats up as Bijepur bypoll schedule out

As per the notification issued by ECI, by-polls will be held on February 24 and counting and announcement of the results will be done on February 28. A gazette notification in this regard will be issued on January 30. As per the schedule, while the last date for filing nomination is February 6, the candidates can withdraw their candidatures by February 9. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on February 7.