The ruling BJD in Odisha on Monday named deceased MLA Kishore Mohanty’s wife Alaka as its candidate for bypoll to Brajrajnagar Assembly seat in Jharsuguda district. The election was necessitated following Mohanty’s demise last December.
Mohanty had won the seat in 2019, defeating BJP’s Radharani Panda by a margin of 11,634 votes. A section of BJD workers had been rooting for the daughter of health minister NK Das, Deepali, but the top brass chose Alaka from the seat.
Political analysts pointed out that BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has all along fielded family members of sitting MLAs, who died vacating a seat. The opposition BJP has once again fielded Panda from the seat.
The Congress is yet to name its candidate. Sources in the Congress stated that the party has zeroed in on senior leader and former speaker Kishore Patel, but an announcement to that effect is yet to be made.
By-elections to Brajrajnagar assembly segment is scheduled to be held on May 31, from 7 am to 6 pm. Votes will be counted on June 3.
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