Rajya Sabha Polls: BJD Candidates To File Nomination Papers On Monday

BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJD leaders Prasanna Acharya, Bishnu Das and N Bhaskar Rao would file their nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls on Monday.

They will file their nomination papers for the three Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant on July 1.

Notably, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on Friday announced the names of the senior party leaders to be the party candidates for the upper house.

The opposition Congress and BJP are unlikely to file any candidate for the Rajya Sabha seats paving the way for the three to be nominated without any contest. Given the number in the state Assembly, the three are all set to be nominated, even if the opposition fields any candidate.

Meanwhile, former Koraput MP and senior BJD leader Jayaram Pangi expressed his reservations on the candidature of N Bhaskar Rao.

He said the Chief Minister could have selected any other leader instead of Bhaskar Rao given he is the deputy chairman of state planning board.

Notably, Pangi and Bhaskar Rao do not see eye to eye on politics.