BHUBANESWAR: The Central election committee of the BJP on Monday cleared the candidature of former MLA Ashok Panigrahi for Bijepur by-election. This was announced by the party’s Central election committee secretary JP Nadda in New Delhi.
A meeting of the core committee of the State BJP chaired by the party’s Odisha president Basanta Panda on Sunday recommended three names including Panigrahi to the Central committee. The party is tight-lipped about the two other candidates recommend by the committee.
Meanwhile, the party has appointed three senior leaders as in-charge of three blocks of the Assembly constituency. BJP legislature party leader KV Singhdeo will be in-charge of Gaisilat block while senior leader Jayanarayan Mishra has been given the responsibility of Bijepur block. The State party president will be in-charge of Barpali block, said Pradeep Purohit, MLA.
Meanwhile, the BJP has urged Chief Electoral Officer DN Gupta for immediate transfer of Bargarh Collector, SP and IIC of three blocks under Bijepur Assembly segment for a free and fair election.
A team of the BJP comprising Pitambar Acharya, Sajjan Sharma, Golak Mohapatra, Lekhasree Samantsinghar and Dilip Mallick met the CEO and submitted a memorandum alleging that the Collector and the SP are working like party men of the BJD. They further alleged that the IICs of Bijepur, Gaisilat and Barpali are intimidating BJP supporters.A free and fair election in Bijepur will not be possible till these officers are shifted, Acharya said.