BHUBANESWAR: Even as the BJP had announced the name of tribal activist and former MP Mamata Mohanta as its candidate for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha, filing of nomination papers by her and another party leader raised eyebrows on Wednesday.
Mohanta filed her nomination in presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, several ministers, Odisha-in-charge of BJP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, state unit president Manmohan Samal and senior leaders.
Curiously, another senior leader of BJP Jagannath Pradhan also filed his nomination as an Independent candidate. He is, however, stated to be a dummy candidate of the party and likely to take back his nomination on the date of withdrawal.
Talking to mediapersons after Mohanta’s filing of nomination papers, Majhi said, “We are confident of her victory. She will represent Odisha and BJP in the Rajya Sabha.”
Mohanta expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah, national BJP president JP Nadda, Majhi and senior leaders for reposing faith on her. “I am taking the pledge today to serve the people of my state and work for the betterment of my community. I will raise the concerns of people in the Rajya Sabha in my left-over term of nearly two years and try my best to solve their problems. My only aim is to serve the people and I hope it will be fulfilled,” Mohanta said.
The central election committee of the BJP had announced the candidature of Mohanta on Tuesday along with eight other candidates from other states for the by-elections to Rajya Sabha which will held on September 3. The seat fell vacant after Mohanta resigned from the Upper House on July 31. She also tendered her resignation from the primary membership of BJD on the same day and joined the BJP on August 1.