BJD will win Bijepur by-poll by good margin: Naveen

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today expressed confidence that his party will win the by-election for the Bijepur Assembly seat by a good margin.

“We will be winning the Bijepur by-poll with good margin as our development works and welfare schemes will work for us,” Naveen told reporters here while leaving for New Delhi on a 4-day visit.

The by-poll to the Bijepur Assembly constituency is scheduled to be held on February 24.

The Assembly constituency is witnessing a triangular fight with the BJD, the BJP and the Congress leaving no stone unturned to secure victory for their candidates.

The BJD has fielded Rita Sahu, widow of Congress MLA Subal Sahu, in the Bijepur by-poll. The BJP has fielded Ashok Panigrahi in the election while the Congress has pitched Pranaya Sahu into the fray.

Official sources said Naveen will attend attend a high-level review meeting on World Cup hockey tomorrow. The State will host the men’s hockey World Cup – 2018 at Kalinga Stadium here between November 28 and December 16.

Naveen is scheduled to address a few rallies in Bijepur Assembly segment on February 19 and 21, party sources said.

The CM also greeted the people of the state on the occasion of Maha Shiv Ratri. “Best wishes to everyone for Shiv Ratri,” he said.

The CM is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening, the source said. The agenda of the meeting is yet to be known.

Patnaik will back to Bhubaneswar on Friday.