VK Pandian Alleges ‘Match-Fixing’ Between BJP, Congress In Odisha’s Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: BJD leader VK Pandian has accused Congress and BJP of match-fixing in Odisha’s Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar parliamentary constituencies.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has filed his nomination from Sambalpur, while MP Aparajita Sarangi is seeking re-election from Bhubaneswar.

Odisha is gearing up for simultaneous Lok Sabha (21 seats) and Assembly polls (147 seats), with voting set to take place in the last four phases – on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

Pandian, a former IAS officer and close aide of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, said Congress used to be the main challenger of BJD more than a decade, but no longer.

“It’s a very sad state of affairs in Congress and in many places, BJP is locally ‘fixing’ with them. There are two parliamentary constituencies where there is fixing – Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar. I am putting it on record, I’m saying this with full conviction,” Pandian told ANI.

Congress has changed its candidate in Sambalpur. After announcing Dulal Chandra Pradhan initially, Congress has now named Nagendra Pradhan — who recently switched allegiance from BJD – to take on Pradhan. The BJP leader is returning to electoral fray after 15 years.

BJD has fielded its organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das from Sambalpur.

As for Bhubaneswar, Congress has opted to field Yasir Nawaz against BJP’s Aparajita. Taking them on will be BJD’s Manmath Routray.