BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday ended all speculations by announcing former minister and BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb as the regional party’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Odisha. Former minister Pradip Amat was announced Speaker of the Assembly.
Political observers believe that Deb has been rewarded for defending his party well in crisis periods. The election to the Rajya Sabha was necessitated after BJD’s Bishnu Charan Das resigned from the Upper House on March 21 following his appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Odisha State Planning Board. His term of office would have ended on July 1, 2022.
Deb is likely to have a smooth election in view of BJD’s overwhelming majority in the Assembly. As per the notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), nomination papers can be filed till May 15.
Nomination papers will be scrutinised on May 16 and candidates can withdraw their papers by May 18. Voting will take place on May 25 in case there is more than one candidate in the fray. Vote counting would begin at 5 pm on the same day in case there is an election.
Pradip Amat had resigned from the Assembly on May 6 with an understanding that he will be made the Assembly Speaker. A former Speaker, Amat has held finance, health and family welfare portfolios before his resignation.
He will be elected to the post on May 16 in a special session of the Assembly.