Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Sunday announced Sanat Gartia as party’s candidate for the by-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency to be held on October 21. Sanat had unsuccessfully fought the last polls against BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The candidature of Sanat was announced after party’s Central Election Committee cleared his name.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has again reposed faith on former MLA Rita Sahu while Congress has named Dillip Kumar Panda as its nominee for the ensuing bypoll.
Rita, Sanat and Dillip are likely to file their nomination papers on Monday, the last day to file nomination. Counting of votes will be held on October 24.
In the Assembly election in Bijepur held on April 18, Sanat had polled 53,482 votes (28.91%) against BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who won by polling 1,10,604 votes (59.78%).
The byelection in Bijepur was necessitated after Patnaik vacated it and retained his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district in south Odisha. Patnaik had won from both the seats earlier this year.
Rita was first elected to the State Assembly on a BJD ticket in February 2018 when a bypoll was held following the death of her husband and then sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August 2017. However, she could not contest the segment in this year’s Assembly election as Patnaik chose it as his second constituency after his traditional Hinjili seat.
