JEYPORE/KORAPUT/MALKANGIRI: Kausalya Hikaka, the BJD candidate for the Koraput Lok Sabha seat, officially entered the electoral fray by filing her nomination papers before Koraput district collector and election officer V Keerthi Vasan on Tuesday. Accompanied by a procession of supporters, she began her roadshow from the Koraput Batamangala temple.
She was greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic BJD supporters, before reaching the collectorate to submit her papers.
Prominent party leaders including her husband, former MP Jinna Hikaka accompanied her. Expressing gratitude to the people of Koraput for their support to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s initiatives for tribal development and good governance, Kausalya exuded confidence in the victory of all BJD candidates across different assembly constituencies.
Meanwhile, Santosh Bidika of the Republican Party of India (A), Damani Jani of BSP, and Independent candidate Abinash Gomang also submitted their nomination papers for the Koraput Lok Sabha seat on the same day.
In addition, Raghuram Padal, the BJD candidate, and Independent candidate Siba Sankar Sagadia filed their nomination papers for the Koraput Assembly constituency.
In Jeypore, BJD candidate for Jeypore AC, Indira Nanda, along with All India Forward Bloc candidate B Hari Rao, filed their papers for the Jeypore seat. Basu Nayak of BSP submitted papers for the Koraput AC on the same day.
On the other hand, Abinash Gomang, son of Rayagada DCC president Bijay Gomang filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for the Koraput Parliamentary constituency.
Abinash, previously serving as the state youth Congress spokesperson and elected youth president for Gunupur Assembly constituency, expressed his decision, citing a sense of betrayal by the Congress party. He alleged neglect of his family’s dedicated service by the Congress party, particularly considering his father’s prominent position. Despite his father’s 35 years of service and his own contributions, Abinash felt overlooked and unappreciated by the party.
While Abinash openly voiced his grievances, his father, Bijay Kumar, refrained from commenting on his son’s nomination.
In Malkangiri, a day after BJP candidate Narsingh Madkami filed his nomination papers for the Malkangiri (ST) Assembly segment, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Lalit Madkami also completed the nomination process before returning officer Duryodhan Bhoi at the sub-collector’s office.