BJD Announces Candidate For Jharsuguda Bypoll In Odisha; Will Deepali Be Able To Defend Father’s Seat?

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday nominated Deepali Das, daughter of late Minister Naba Kishore Das, as its candidate for Jharsuguda Assembly by-election scheduled on May 10.

Notably the name of Deepali was doing the rounds ever since her father’s death on January 29. She has already been undertaking extensive tours of Jharsuguda assembly constituency and interacting with people at the grassroots apart from holding meetings and other programmes. Jharsuguda Assembly constituency was represented by her father Naba Das.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and BJD president Naveen Patnaik announced the candidature of Deepali just two days after the schedule for the bypoll was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday.

Opposition BJP and Congress are yet to announce their candidates for the May 10 by-election, while the ruling BJD became the first political party to announce its candidate.

While BJP is likely to nominate its youth leader Tankadhar Tripathy, Congress state president Sarat Pattanayak said that a committee led by senior leader and MLA Santosh Singh Saluja has been formed for selection of a suitable candidate.

The by-election to Jharsuguda Assembly constituency was necessitated after the death of Naba Das, who was shot at by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police at Brajarajnagar on January 29. He succumbed to bullet injuries at a Bhubaneswsar hospital hours later the same evening.

By fielding Deepali, the ruling party hopes to cash in on the sympathy wave and also attract the women electorate, who have traditionally voted for it. However, she is will be fighting her maiden electoral battle.

While submission of nominations for the bypoll will continue till April 20, scrutiny of the papers will be held on April 21. Last date for withdrawal of nomination is April 24.

Late Naba Das had won the last three Assembly elections in Jharsuguda. While the late leader was elected as Congress candidate in 2009 and 2014, he won the seat in 2019 election on BJD ticket as he joined the ruling party ahead of the polls. Earlier, BJD’s Kishore Kumar Mohanty was elected from Jharsuguda in 2000 and 2004.