Set for a high-voltage clash, all three major political parties, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress kicked off their campaigns for the upcoming by-election to the Pipili Assembly Constituency.
Voting for the seat will be held on September 30 , as scheduled by the Election Commission of India.
BJD candidate Rudra Pratap Maharathy embarked on a door-to -door campaign with party leaders and grassroots level members as he asked the voters to turn up at the polling stations in large numbers in support of the ruling party.
Rudra who is filling in for his late father, the BJD strongman and seven-time MLA from the constituency, Pradeep Maharathy, informed the people about various welfare schemes launched by the State government for the poor.
“When I visit people’s houses for votes, I see how much the public here loved Pradeep Maharathy. The developmental projects that he pioneered but could not finish will be completed by me when I win the seat,” said Maharathy while on the campaign trail.
Similarly, Ashrit Pattanayak, the candidate of the BJP, campaigned in several panchayats under Zone-23. The Congress party on the other hand has landed MLA Mohammed Moquim on the field to assist its candidate Biswakesan Harichandan Mohapatra.
Pattanayak, while speaking to reporters said, “All our star campaigners and party members are excited over the election. We are quite confident that the developmental politics propounded by PM Narendra Modi will fetch us this seat as well.”
Notably, the by-election to the Pipili assembly constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy in October last year. Altogether 10 candidates are in the fray for the September 30 by-election for which the counting of votes will take place on October 3.
Initially, the by-election was scheduled to be held on April 17. However, the by-poll was postponed following the death of Congress candidate Ajit Mangaraj due to Covid-19, just three days ahead of the polls on April 14, 2021.
Meanwhile, voting through postal ballot for the ensuing bypoll to the constituency has commenced from today. Senior citizens above the age of 80 years, persons with disabilities (PwD) and Covid suspected/positive patients across the constituency, can cast their votes through postal ballots in the next five days of the poll process starting today.