Congress Picks Former MLA’s Son As Nominee For Jharsuguda Bypoll In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Monday named Tarun Pandey as its candidate for the Jharsuguda by-election in Odisha scheduled on May 10.

“The Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Tarun Pandey as Congress candidate for the ensuing by-election to legislative assembly of Odisha – Jharsuguda,” an AICC release said.

According to sources, a team of Odisha Congress led by senior leader and MLA Santosh Singh Saluja had recommended his name along with that of Mahendra Naik, who contested the 2019 Assembly elections from Jharsuguda, for the by-election. Tarun is the son of former Jharsuguda MLA Biren Pandey, who passed away last month. The former MLA was elected to the Odisha Assembly thrice on a Congress ticket in 1980, 1985 and 1995.

Congress opted for Tarun with the hope to win favour votes due to his father’s recent death with the ruling BJD having named Deepali Das, daughter of Naba Kishore Das whose death necessitated the bypoll, to capitalize on the sympathy wave, the sources added.

While the BJP is yet to announce its candidate, Deogarh MLA Subhash Panigrahi on Monday hinted at the possibility of state party secretary Tankadhar Tripathy being fielded from Jharsuguda Assembly seat.

The nomination process for the bypoll will begin on April 13 and end on April 20.