Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of BJP has announced the names of several Central leaders including 3 ministers in its list of star campaigners for byelection to Jharsuguda Assembly constituency.
Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmednra Pradhan and Biseswar Tudu figure in the list of its 40 star campaigners for the byelection. Besides, former Union Ministers Jual Oram and Pratap Chandra Sarangi, prominent leaders Sunil Bansal, D. Purandeswari and Vijaypal Singh Tomar will campaign for the party candidate.
Odisha MPs Basanta Panda, Suresh Pujari, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo and Aparajita Sarangi have also been included in the list. The saffron party’s national vice-president Baijayanta Panda and national spokesperson Sambit Patra, both from Odisha, will also join the campaign.
Odisha president of BJP Manmohan Samal, former minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, former state president Samir Mohanty, former MP Kharavela Swain and MLAs Mohan Charan Majhi, Nauri Nayak, Subash Panigrahi, Mukesh Mahaling, Kusum Tete and Suraj Suryabanshi have been named in the list.
Besides, prominent leaders of Odisha BJP including Surama Padhi, Lekhasri Samantsinghar, Golak Prasad Mohapatra and Pruthviraj Harichandan will land in Jharsuguda for the campaign.
Earlier, the Congress and ruling BJD released their lists of 40 star campaigners for the bypoll scheduled to be held on May 10.
The Congress has fielded Tarun Pandey, the son of late MLA Biren Pandey, as its candidate for the by-election. The BJD has nominated Deepali Das, daughter of slain minister Naba Kishore Das, whose alleged murder on January 29 necessitated the bypoll. The BJP has fielded Tankadhar Tripathy.