Pratap Deb to file nomination for Rajya Sabha poll today

Bhubaneswar: BJD spokesperson and former minister Pratap Deb will file nomination for the election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha today.  Scrutiny will be held tomorrow and candidates can withdraw on May 18. The poll is slated for May 25.

The election was necessitated following the resignation of Bishnu Charan Das on March 21.

Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had declared Deb last week as the party candidate.

Pratap Deb, an erstwhile royal family member, is currently chairman of the Odisha State Housing Board. He was minister for technical education and training and information technology in Naveen’s Cabinet between 2009 and 2014. He lost the 2014 Assembly election from Aul constituency of Kendrapara.

Deb’s victory is a foregone conclusion given the strength of BJD in the assembly.

Meanwhile, former Finance minister Pradeep Amat will also file paper for the post of Assembly Speaker today.