Bargarh: Amid show of strength by the BJD, party candidate Rita Sahu today filed her nomination papers for the by-election to the Bijepur Assembly constituency scheduled on February 24.
Rita filed her papers, in presence of senior BJD leaders, at the sub-collector office in Padampur.
Prasanna Acharya, AU Singh Deo, Minister Sushant Singh, Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh, Sanjay Das Burma and Ollywood star Anubhav Mohanty were among others present when Rita filed her nomination papers.
Meanwhile, Rita expressed her confidence of winning the bypoll with a huge margin.
Former minister and senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya informed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will visit the bypoll-bound Bijepur for a day and campaign for the party's candidate.
"BID is much ahead of the BJP and the Congress in Bijepur. The pro-people schemes of the CM will help the party win the by-election by a huge margin," said former minister AU Singh Deo.
While the BJP candidate for the bypoll, Ashok Panigrahi has already filed his nomination papers, Congress candidate Pranay Sahu, who currently holds the post of vice-chairman of Gaisilat block, will file his papers on Tuesday.
The BJP, on the other hand, today kick-started its campaign in the constituency.
"Bijepur has always been neglected by the BJD. People will not spare the ruling government for the injustice done to the region," said Panigrahi.
It is worth mentioning that Panigrahi had won the Bijepur Assembly seat on a BJD ticket in 2000 general elections but he joined the BJP in October last year after being suspended from the party.
Bijepur seat fell vacant following the demise of three-time MLA from the constituency Subal Sahu in August last year.