Balasore bypoll: Congress in a dither over selection of candidate 

The ensuing bypoll to Balasore Assembly seat has become more interesting with Congress dithering over the choice of candidate.
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)

BHUBANESWAR:  The ensuing bypoll to Balasore Assembly seat has become more interesting with Congress dithering over the choice of candidate. Though it was more or less final that Nabajyoti Patnaik, son of OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, will be fielded from the seat, the party is now having second thought over the matter.

Congress observer for the Balasore seat, senior MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, on Saturday said Nabajyoti is not likely to be fielded by the party as he is not interested to contest. Nabajyoti had unsuccessfully contested from the Balasore Lok Sabha seat in 2019 elections. 

Bahinipati, however, said the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC), which is likely to meet soon, will take a decision on the issue. Meanwhile, the ruling BJD is in a spot of bother following the CBI raid on the residence of former minister and party’s vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra. The senior leader, who is in home isolation after testing Covid-19, was to be kept in-charge of the Balasore constituency along with two other leaders for the bypoll. 

Sources said the party is now waiting for further move of the CBI in the coming days to decide on the matter. Several other leaders of the ruling BJD are under CBI scanner in the chit fund scam and the party leadership is unlikely to make any move regarding the bypoll at this juncture. On the other hand, BJP has appointed Manas Dutt, son of former Balasore MLA Madan Mohan Dutt, as coordinator of the constituency. 

Sources said BJP’s selection of candidate is at a final stage and it will be announced after clearance from the parliamentary board.  The bypoll has been necessitated following the death of BJP MLA Madan Mohan and the party is leaving no stone unturned to retain it. 

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