BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Sunday named former MLA Radharani Panda as its candidate for the May 31 by-election to the Brajrajnagar Assembly seat in Jharsuguda district.Panda had had won the seat in 2014, but lost to Kishore Mohanty of BJD by a margin of 11,634 during the 2019 Assembly polls. The bypoll was necessitated following Mohanty’s demise in December last year.
The ruling BJD and the Congress are yet to name their candidates for the seat. Though there are many aspirants for BJD ticket, Alaka Mohanty, wife of Kishore Mohanty, is believed to be a frontrunner. The name of Deepali Das, daughter of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, is also making the rounds.
Senior leader and former speaker Kishore Patel is tipped to be the Congress candidate but the announcement is yet to be made. The Election Commission of India has announced May 31, 2022 as the date for the by-election to Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency.The last date for filing of nomination papers is on May 11 while scrutiny will be conducted on May 12. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is May 17. Counting of votes has been scheduled on June 3.