JHARSUGUDA: Congress candidate Tarun Pandey, on Saturday, filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Jharsuguda by-election scheduled on May 10.On the day, Pandey, along with OPCC chief Sarat Pattanayak and large number of supporters went in a procession to file his papers in the office of sub-collector-cum-returning officer Kishore Chandra Swain.
The rally that started from the local Manmohan ME School grounds saw Congress bigwigs Bijay Patnaik, MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Sura Routray, CS Ekka, former MLAs and hundreds of district Congress workers.
Pandey is the son of three-time Jharsuguda MLA Biren Pandey, who passed away in March 2023. Biren Pandey was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 1980, 1985 and 1995 on a Congress ticket.
Claiming to get overwhelming support from people in the constituency, Pandey said residents are fed up with the ruling BJD as they face rising unemployment and acute drinking water problems. He promised to address issues such as pollution, lack of drinking water and unemployment problems of the local people if they repose trust on him.
Addressing media after the nomination was filed, Pattanayak expressed satisfaction with the large turnout at the rally. “This is a testament to the party’s strong presence in the constituency and people’s eagerness for a change,” Patnaik said. “The lack of law and order, pollution, and unemployment are major issues in the area that require attention and will be taken up by the Congress,” assured Pattanayak.
The ruling BJD has fielded Deepali Das, daughter of slain minister Naba Kishore Das, whose murder necessitated the by-poll. The BJP has chosen youth leader Tankadhar Tripathi. The sub-collector informed that three people have so far filed nominations for the by-poll - Tarun Pandey from Congress, Bijay Jalan from Hindustan Nirman Dal and Bhubaneswar Gardia as independent. The nomination process for the by-poll, which began on April 13, will continue till April 20.