RS Polls: BJD Fields Soumya, Achyuta & Prashanta Nanda

Bhubaneswar: Putting an end to speculation, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced media baron and former MP Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, eminent education entrepreneur Achyuta Samanta and film personality Prasanta Nanda as the three nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

While Nanda, a former minister, is a spokesperson of the party, Soumya and Achyuta joined BJD hours before getting the BJD ticket.

The Rajya Sabha elections are due as three seats from Odisha will fall vacant with the tenures of BJD members A U Singhdeo, Dilip Tirkey and BJD-backed Independent A V Swami ending next month.

“I will rake up Mahanadi, Polavaram issues and Centre’s negligence towards the State if elected as Rajya Sabha member. I have always sincerely taken up assignments given by BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik. This is not a reward, this is a responsibility,” said Nanda soon after he was named as Rajya Sabha nominee.

BJD sources said while Soumya and Achyuta got the nod because of their media organisations, Nanda was selected, ahead of other party hopefuls, including Dilip Tirkey and Padmini Sekhar Deo who were in the race till the last minute, because of his seniority and stature as a film personality.