Bijepur bypoll: Congress announces Pranaya Sahu as party candidate

After a lengthy and rigorous selection process, the Congress announced Pranaya Sahu as its candidate for by-poll to the Bijepur assembly constituency, scheduled on February 24.
Image used for representational purpose.   (File photo | EPS)
Image used for representational purpose. (File photo | EPS)

BHUBANESHWAR: After a lengthy and rigorous selection process, Congress today announced Pranaya Sahu as its candidate for by-poll to the Bijepur assembly constituency, scheduled on February 24.

The Congress president Rahul Gandhi has approved the candidature of Pranaya Sahu as the party candidate for the ensuing by-poll for the ensuing by-poll to the Bijepur assembly constituency, a release issued by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) said. Sahu is now the vice-chairman of Gaisilet Block in Bargarh district.

Sahu's name was selected on the basis of a recommendation made by a six member committee headed by former chief minister Hemananda Biswal. The committee was formed on January 27 to submit report to the high command recommending names of suitable candidates for the bypoll.

Names of former minister Ripunath Seth and Sahu had been recommended to the AICC by the committee. A similar committee formed two months had reportedly recommended the names of suitable candidates including Sahu. A meeting of senior leaders from Western Odisha was held at the Congress Bhavan here where the name of Sahu was finalised.

Seth told mediapersons mediapersons that the party selected Sahu as he is a better candidate. The former minister, however, said he will continue to work for the party. “I will do whatever the party asks me to do,” he said.  Seth who was elected to the assembly from Bijepur in 1995 was the minister of state in 1999 and 2000.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP and BJD spokesperson Prasanna Acharya said the BJD will win the by-poll. Sahu's candidature from Congress will have no affect on BJD's poll prospects. The by-poll has been necessitated following the death of Subal Sahu on August 22. Sahu had won from the constituency for three consecutive times in 2004, 2009 and 2014 on a Congress ticket.

Former BJD MLA Ashok Panigrahi has filed his nomination as a BJP candidate for the upcoming bypoll. BJD candidate Rita Sahu, Subal Sahu's widow, will file her nomination papers tomorrow. The Congress candidate will file his nomination papers on the last day on February 6.

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