Naveen announces Narendra Swain as BJD candidate for RS seat

BHUBANESWAR: Ending speculation over the nomination of party candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha by-poll, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Friday declared Narendra Swain as BJD’s candidate for the by-poll, which has fallen vacant after the death of party leader Kalpataru Das this year.

The election for the Rajya Sabha seat is scheduled to be held on Dec 14.

“I would like to announce the name of Narendra Kumar Swain, general secretary of BJD, as the party’s candidate for Rajya Sabha by-poll,” Patnaik told reporters here.

Several party leaders were in the race for the lone seat in the Upper House of Parliament.

“I am grateful to the party chief for his decision and will always work for the party,” said Swain in his reaction.

“I will perform my duty honestly after getting elected to the Rajya Sabha. It was a prize for my dedication to the party since last 25 years,” said Swain.

He has already taken a set of nomination paper from the returning paper.

As per the notification issued by the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the process of nomination filing, which began on Nov 26, will continue till Dec 3.

Verification of papers is on Dec 4, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is on Dec 7, the notification added.

The ruling party is all set to win the seat, which has fallen vacant after the death of BJD’s Kalpataru Das, with its brute majority in the assembly. BJD has 117 members out of 147 seats in the state assembly.