Odisha bypoll: Seven remain in fray for Kandhamal LS seat

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Phulbani, Sep 29:

With one independent candidate withdrawing his nomination paper today, the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers, seven candidates remain in the fray for the October 15 by-election to the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat in Odisha.

An official of the District Election Office told reporters “Samir Kumar Kar, an independent candidate, withdrew his papers leaving a total of seven candidates in the fray”. Among them are two indepnedent candidates, he said.

Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh (BJD), Rudra Madhav Ray (BJP), Abhimanyu Behera (Congress), Mahammad Ziauddin Ahamed (Indian Citizen’s Party), Kulamani Urma (Pashimanchala Vikash Party), Birendra Kumar Gouda and Jalandhar Kanhar (both Independents) are left in the race.

Nine candidates had filed their nomination papers for the by-election, but the candidature of one independent candidate had earlier been rejected during scrutiny on September 27.

The by-poll was necessitated following the sudden demise of sitting BJD MP Hemendra Chandra Singh on September 5.