Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Darjee

Jharsuguda, April 14: The BJP has announced the name of Tankadhar Tripathy as its candidate for the Jharsuguda bypoll.

Tankadhar’s name was declared by the party’s Central Election Committee late on Wednesday evening. He will lock horns with ruling Biju Janata Dal’s nominee Dipali Das and Congress candidate Tarun Pandey.

According to political analysts, the Jharsuguda by-poll has once again posed a challenge for the ruling Biju Janata Dal to retain the seat. The regional party won Patkura, Bijepur, Tirtol, Balasore, Pipili and Padampur by-polls held after 2019 assembly elections. The BJP could defend Dhamnagar seat while it lost Balasore to BJD in the bypolls held for the two seats. 

For the BJP, Jharsuguda once again offers an opportunity to prove its acceptability among voters. Party’s new state president Manmohan Samal, who saw two crushing defeats in Hindol and Attabira urban polls, has now to ensure that he wins the seat to encourage his party’s rank and file ahead of the 2024 assembly and Lok Sabha elections, maintained the analysts.

The Congress is also equally looking for a better performance this time. Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Pattanayak will lead the party himself, said a party source.

The voting for the Assembly Constituency will be held on May 10 and counting of votes will be done on May 13.

While submission of nominations for the bypoll will continue till April 20, scrutiny of the same will be held on April 21. Nominations for the by-election can be withdrawn till April 24.

Jharsuguda seat is lying vacant ever since the incumbent lawmaker and state health minister Nabakishore Das was assassinated by a police officer on January 29 morning.

“It is all due to the blessings of the Jharsuguda residents. The people, youths and women of Jharsuguda are all candidates of the BJP. This will be a fight between the common public and the 23 years of neglect meted out by the current government,” said Tankadhar.