BJP names Ashrit Pattanayak for Pipili by-poll

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday named Ashrit Pattanayak as the party candidate for the upcoming Pipili bypoll scheduled to be held on April 17.

He is currently BJP’s Puri district president.

Pattanayak had given a tough fight to late BJD leader Pradeep Kumar Mohanty in the 2019 election. Maharathy’s death necessitated the bypoll.

Pattanayak had polled 72,731 votes losing by 15,787 votes to Maharathy who had secured 88,518 votes in the BJD stronghold.

Ashrit Pattanayak had also unsuccessfully fought from the seat as an independent in 2014.

 BJD and Congress are yet to name their candidates for the Pipili by-election.