Ashok Panigrahi is BJP candidate for Bijepur bypoll

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced Ashok Panigrahi as its candidate for Bijepur bypoll to be held later next month.

The Secretary of BJP, election committee, J P Nadda declared the name of Bijepur Assembly candidate.

He declared that Ashok Panigrahi will be BJP candidate for Bijepur by-poll.

Notably, the state leadership of BJP had recommended the name of Ashok Panigrahi to the central leadership.

The announcement comes two days after Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Rita Sahu, widow of Subal Sahu, met party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence here following which she announced that she would file her nomination papers on February 5.

On the other hand, the Congress party has started confabulation to finalize candidate. A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal to select the candidate.