Rajya Sabha elections: BJD fields three candidates from Odisha
BJD candidates Prashanta Nanda, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, and Achyuta Samanta on Friday filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha. They filed their papers before the returning officer in the presence of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, and other senior leaders. They filed papers for the three Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha falling vacant in April.
Soumya Ranjan and Samanta joined the party recently
While founder and editor of an Odiya daily, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, and founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, Achyuta Samanta, joined the BJD on Wednesday, Nanda was a spokesperson of the ruling party. Nanda, a film-actor-turned politician, was elected to the state Assembly twice and had become a minister, while Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996.
Three RS seats from Odisha will fall vacant from April
Three seats in Rajya Sabha from Odisha will fall vacant as the tenure of BJD Members, AU Singhdeo and Dilip Tirkey, as well as BJD-backed Independent candidate AV Swami is scheduled to end on 2 April. However, as BJD has an absolute majority in the state Assembly with 118 members in the 147-member house, the election would only be a formality.
Last date for filing nominations, 12 March: EC
As announced by the Election Commission, the last date for filing nominations is 12 March, scrutiny of nominations on 13 March, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature on 15 March. The polling would continue from 9 am to 4 pm while counting of votes and results would be announced on 23 March. The poll process would be completed on 26 March.
