Bhubaneswar: Amid speculation that BJP may opt for a woman candidate in view of BJD naming Deepali Das, Deogarh MLA Subhash Panigrahi on Monday hinted at the possibility of state BJP secretary Tankadhar Tripathy being fielded from Jharsuguda Assembly seat in Odisha.
“The party is likely to announce his candidature soon,” he told mediapersons.
Tankadhar, a former state president of BJP Yuva Morcha, had been a front-runner for the seat, where the bypoll scheduled on May 10. 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.
On Sunday, BJP’s Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal had told reporters that the parliamentary board of the party was meeting in Delhi and the name of the candidate for the May 10 bypoll would be announced in a day or two. A five-member committee constituted by Samal had reportedly recommended five names after consultations with party functionaries and workers from booth to district level.
If BJP picks Tankadhar then Jharsuguda seat, which fell vacant following Naba Kishore Das’ murder, will see a clash between two debutants.
Also Read: Jharsuguda Bypoll: Why It Could Set The Tone For Next Assembly Polls In Odisha
This bypoll, which mostly probable the last before the next assembly elections in Odisha, is also expected to set the tone for the ‘Big Battle’ in 2024. It is a must win poll for the BJD, considering the Health Minister was murdered, the party will have sympathy, and it would want to ride on the momentum gained in Jharsuguda to cruise into full election mode.
For BJP’s new president Manmohan Samal, it will be his first acid test within weeks of taking charge and he is expected to repeat party’s victory in the high-octane Dhamnagar by-election, where he played a key role, in Jharsuguda.
The Congress is yet to announce its nominee.
