BJP’s Pick Sets Ground For Clash Of Debutants In Jharsuguda Bypoll In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Tankadhar Tripathy as its candidate for Jharsuguda by-election scheduled on May 10.

BJP’s Central Election Committee announced his candidature last evening.

A former president of BJP Yuva Morcha and currently a BJP state secretary, Tankadhar will make his debut in assembly polls. The 41-year-old law graduate started his political career with ABVP as a student leader and has been politically active in Jharsuguda, his native place.

However, he is not the lone debutant in this bypoll. The BJD has fielded Deepali Das, daughter of Naba Kishore Das whose demise necessitated the bypoll, as its candidate while Tarun Pandey, son of three-time former Jharsuguda MLA Biren Pandey, is Congress’ nominee. Kalinga Sena will also enter the fray with youth leader Mahendra Patnaik.

This bypoll, most probably the last before the next assembly elections in Odisha, is likely to set the tone for the ‘Big Battle’ in 2024.

The nomination process for the bypoll began on April 13 and will continue till April 20.