ROURKELA/DEOGARH: BJD’s Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) candidate and hockey legend Dilip Tirkey filed his nomination papers on Tuesday.
Accompanied by the party candidate from Sundargarh Assembly seat Jogesh Singh, Tirkey came in a massive rally to Sundargarh town. While he submitted his papers to Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali, Singh filed his nomination before additional district magistrate (ADM) RN Sahoo.
Citing the huge gathering of BJD supporters, both the leaders claimed that the ruling party would win the LS constituency and all the seven Assembly seats under it in Sundargarh district. The BJD would win maximum number of seats in Odisha to ensure the sixth consecutive term for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, they added.
Congress candidate from Rourkela Assembly seat BN Patnaik also filed his nomination before Panposh sub-collector Bijay Nayak on the day. BJP’s Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram along with the party nominees from Sundargarh, Talsara and Rajgangpur Assembly seats would file their papers on May 2.
Administrative sources informed that so far, three candidates have filed their papers for the LS seat. Similarly, 12 candidates have submitted nominations for the seven Assembly seats till Tuesday. Besides Tirkey, SUCI candidate Justin Lugun and Independent nominee Jagabandhu Oram have filed nominations for the Sundargarh LS seat.
Filing of nomination started on April 26 and will end on May 3 followed by scrutiny of papers on May 4 and withdrawal of candidature on May 6. Voting will take place on May 20 and counting on June 4.
On the day, sitting MLA and BJP’s candidate from Deogarh Assembly seat Subash Panigrahi filed his nomination. Accompanied by Union Minister and BJP’s Sambalpur LS candidate Dharmendra Pradhan, Panigrahi went to the office of the sub-collector to file his papers in a huge rally of party workers and local residents. The rally passed through key areas of the town.
Addressing a public meeting earlier in the day, Pradhan launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJD and said the state government was not implementing many Central schemes in fear of giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He further claimed, “Work on National Highway-55 has come to a halt due to the indifference of the state government. Ninety per cent of the NH work has been completed. But the remaining work is pending due to non-cooperation of the Odisha government which is deliberately delaying land acquisition.”