Odisha: Four BJD candidates file nominations for RS polls

Bhubaneswar, May 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Four Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates on Tuesday filed their nomination papers for the election to four Rajya Sabha (RS) seats in Odisha.

BJD spokesperson Sulata Deo, media advisor to government Manas Mangaraj and RS member Sasmit Patra have filed their nominations for the full-term RS seats while recently joined tribal leader Niranjan Bishi submitted his papers for the RS bypoll.

The candidates filed their nominations before the returning officer in the Odisha Assembly in presence of several ministers and senior leaders of the BJD.

"Before filing the nominations, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has interacted with us through video-conferencing. We have taken his blessings to work for Odisha and its people," said Patra. Focus will be on women empowerment and development of farmers & youth, he said.

Bishi said he will continue to work for the development of tribals. "I was fighting for the tribals through an organisation. Now, I will continue to fight for them in the Parliament," said Bishi.

The tenure of three Rajya Sabha MPs from Odisha -- Nekkanti Bhaskar Rao, Prasanna Acharya and Sasmit Patraa -- will end on July 1, while another seat in the upper house of Parliament fell vacant due to the resignation of BJD's Subhas Singh.

As per schedule, scrutiny of nomination papers will be held at 11.30 a.m. on June 1, while candidates can withdraw their papers till 3 p.m. on June 3.

The Election Commission has set June 10 as the election day for the three full-term seats while the bypoll is scheduled for June 13.

However, the election may not be required, as the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has a majority to win all four seats.

The BJD has 113 members in an Assembly of 147 seats. The BJP and Congress with 22 and nine seats in the Assembly do not have the numbers to win a seat.

Source: IANS