Bhubaneswar/Bargarh: Clearing the air on a possible clash of dates between the Matriculation examination 2018 and the Bijepur bypoll, the state’s chief electoral officer D N Gupta today said that there would not be any clash of dates.
Speaking at a presser here on Thursday, Gupta said the bypoll will not affect matriculation examination even though 13 schools will be used as booths.
As there is no exam on February 24 and the officials of the commission will reach the booths at around 9 pm on February 23 and leave by 10 pm the next day, there will not be any problem. Moreover, we have discussed the matter with the Bargarh district collector and the Election Commission
- said Gupta
"A report has also been sought in this regard from the collector and the district education officer. Besides, we are monitoring the situation. In case there is any need of change, we will take up the matter with the government as well as the Commission," he added.
Meanwhile, School and Mass Education department secretary PK Mohapatra today said no change in the Matriculation examination has been scheduled due to the bypoll and the exams will begin from February 23 as scheduled.
With the Election Commission announcing the by-election to the Bijepur assembly constituency on February 24, the countdown to the bypoll has begun.
The major political parties are now busy giving final touches to their stratagem to win the electoral battle which is seen as the precursor to the 2019 general election.
The Bijepur seat had fallen vacant following the death of three-time Congress MLA Subal Sahu on August 22, 2017.
While the BJD managed to bring Sahu's family to the party fold and declared the legislator's wife Rita as its candidate, both the BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their candidates.
It is worth mentioning that the BJP is likely to declare former Bijepur MLA Ashok Panigrahi, who recently quit BJD and joined BJP, as its candidate, the Congress party is believed to rope in its former minister and one-time MLA from the constituency, Ripu Nath Seth for the bypoll.