BHUBANESWAR: With BJD yet to announce its candidate for the by-election to Padampur Assembly seat, the BJP and Congress on Saturday nominated former MLAs Pradip Purohit and Satya
Bhusan Sahu respectively for the poll battle scheduled on December 5.
“The BJP central election committee has approved the name of Pradip Purohit for the forthcoming by-election to Padampur,” said a release issued by national BJP general secretary Arun Singh.
While the BJD is still scouting for a suitable candidate, the AICC announced the name of Sahu. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Satya Bhusan Sahu as party candidate for the ensuing by-election to the Padampur Assembly constituency,” AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik said in a statement.
A three-time MLA from Padampur, Sahu had unsuccessfully contested for the seat in 2009 and 2019. A popular leader, Sahu secured 49,847 votes in 2009 and 32,787 votes in 2019. Purohit had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election from Padampur constituency on a BJP ticket in 2009.
However, he trounced BJD candidate Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha in 2014 by a margin of over 4,500 votes. In 2019, Purohit lost the poll to Bariha by a margin of over 5,000 votes.