BHUBANESWAR: Polling for Patkura Assembly constituency, which was adjourned following the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla, will be held on May 19.
Election to Patkura Assembly seat, under Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency, was scheduled to be held in the fourth phase on April 29, but polling was adjourned following the death of Agarwalla on April 20.
As per notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the process for filling of nomination papers, which began on Wednesday, will continue till May 1.
Only the candidate nominated by the BJD will be allowed to file nomination papers as the candidatures of other parties, including BJP nominee Bijoy Mohapatra and Congress candidate Jayanta Kumar Mohanty, are valid.
While scrutiny of the nomination papers will be done on May 2, the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 4.Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar said no new candidate can file nomination papers as election to the seat was adjourned and not countermanded.
“As per ECI norms, the election is adjourned in the event of death of a candidate from a recognised political party between the period of announcement of final list of candidates and voting. The same party is allowed to field another candidate for the poll as per the schedule,” he clarified.
Returning Officer for Patkura Assembly segment Sanjay Kumar Mishra had adjourned the poll after the death of Agarwalla while he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The 80-year-old BJD veteran was the sitting MLA from Patkura.
Apart from Mohapatra and Mohanty, seven others are in the fray from Patkura. Elections to Patkura seat is crucial as it will play a key role in the winning prospect of nominees for Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency where BJP’s Baijayant Panda is pitted against BJD’s Anubhav Mohanty.