Odisha RS polls: Prasanna, Bishnu, Bhaskar BJD nominees

Swetaparna Published On : May 27, 2016 at 5:59 PM Updated On : May 27, 2016 at 9:12 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 27:

Putting to rest all speculations, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced Prasanna Acharya, Bishnu Das and N Bhaskar Rao as his party’s candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

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“Three senior leaders of the Biju Janata Dal have been chosen to be the party candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. They are Prasanna Acharya, Bishnu Charan Das, and N Bhaskar Rao,” announced Patnaik today at a press briefing at his residence Naveen Nivas here.

While N Bhaskar Rao is the deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, Bishnu Charan Das is the party’s Jagatsinghpur district president. Prasanna Acharya has been a former member of the Lok Sabha and a minister.

“I have been associated with Biju Parivar and working with it for 40 years. Today I was asked by Naveen babu to file nominations for Rajya Sabha. I thank the Chief Minister for this. I have executed with sincerity whatever responsibility has been assigned to me and will continue to do so in the future,” said N Bhaskar Rao in his reaction after being named as a candidate by Naveen Patnaik.

“I express my gratefulness to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for selecting as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha. I have been working with Biju Parivar since my student days. I am an ordinary worker of the party. I will dutifully deliver the responsibility vested in me by the Chief Minister. Development of the state is our party’s motto, I will take it forward,” said former minister and senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya.

“This is the reward for 40 years of hard work. I thank the Chief Minister for deciding to send me to the Rajya Sabha. I will work for the development of Odisha,” said former minister and senior BJD leader Bishnu Charan Das

The last date for filing of nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls is May 31.

Polls will be held for three Rajya Sabha seats from the state. BJD has the requisite numbers to garner all the three seats.

The term of Rajya Sabha members Bhupinder Singh, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra and Baisnab Charan Parida (all from BJD) will expire on July 1.