Speculation over BJP and BJD candidate names in Bijepur bypolls

It is likely that former MLA from the constituency Rita Sahu will get the BJD ticket for the bypoll, names of several other leaders are also doing the round.

Former Bijepur MLA Rita Sahu (Express File)

BHUBANESWAR: After Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik vacated Bijepur seat by retaining Hinjili Assembly constituency, speculation is rife over the candidates of the two main rivals - ruling BJD and BJP - for the by-election to be held in next six months.

Though it is likely that former MLA from the constituency Rita Sahu will get the BJD ticket for the bypoll, names of several other leaders are also doing the round. Those include Subhas Chouhan, former BJP leader who joined the ruling BJD before the election and BJD heavyweight and Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya who was defeated from the Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency.

Sahu won the bypoll to the seat in 2018 following the death of her husband and sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu by a margin of 41,933 votes against BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahy. Sahu was the legislator from Bijepur only for an year and has now evinced interest to contest polls again.

The BJP, on the other hand, is confident of wresting the seat from the BJD in the bypoll in view of its performance in the 2019 General Elections in Odisha. The saffron party hopes to give a strong fight to the BJD as the Chief Minister will not be a candidate. In the recently concluded Assembly election from the constituency, Sanat Gartia of BJP had polled 53,088 votes against 1,10,166 by the BJD supremo while the Congress candidate Ripunath Seth got 14,249 votes. It is expected that Gartia will again be fielded by the BJP in the by-poll. 

However, several names are also doing the rounds as possible BJP candidate from the constituency. Ashok Panigrahy, who had lost the bypoll to Sahu in 2018, has emerged as a strong contender for BJP ticket. Panigrahy had polled 69,938 votes from the seat though he was defeated by a margin of over 41,000 votes. 

The name of former MLA Pradip Purohit, who was defeated from the Padampur constituency in 2019 Assembly elections, is also doing the rounds. It remains to be seen whether Congress again fields former minister Ripunath Seth who contested Assembly elections unsuccessfully from the constituency. Seth polled had 14,249 votes.