Padampur bypoll in Odisha: Nominations of 2 candidates cancelled

Bhubaneswar: The nominations of two independent candidates for December 5 Padampur by-election in Odisha were cancelled during the scrutiny today.

The nominations of independent candidates Jayanta Thapa and Debabrata Sunani were cancelled during the scrutiny, said Returning Officer for Padampur bypoll Trilochan Patra.

The nominations of remaining 11 candidates were found valid, Patra added.

As many as 13 candidates, including eight independents, filed nominations for the bypoll on the last day of filling of papers yesterday.

Former MLAs Pradip Purohit and Satya Bhusan Sahu filed nominations as the candidates of BJP and Congress respectively.

Barsha Singh Bariha, the elder daughter of deceased MLA Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha, filed paper as Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate for the by-election.

Jayanta Thapa, Seshadeb Sahu, Brundaban Purohit, Rebati Giri, Udit Bondia, Debarchan Naik, Gangadhar Saha and Debabrata Sunani filed nominations as independent candidates, sources said.

On the other hand, Mukteswar Das filed the paper from OJP while Bidyadhar Pandaba submitted nomination from Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, sources added.

The last day for withdrawal of nominations is November 21.

Notably, the by-election has been necessitated due to the death of sitting MLA Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha on October 3. Bariha had been elected from Padampur Assembly segment on a BJD ticket in 2019.