Odisha By-Elections: Top Political Parties Vie For Victory

Bhubaneswar: Top political parties – BJP, BJD and Congress-- have set their eyes on the elusive victory and are leaving no stone unturned in their full-fledged preparations for the upcoming by-elections in Balasore Sadar and Tirtol Assembly seats, to be held before November 29.

Congress has already started their poll campaign on ground zero. According to sources, the old party has as many as six aspiring candidates for the Tirtol ticket. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik’s son Nabajyoti Patnaik appears to be the favourite for the Balosore Sadar seat.

Congress veteran leader Suresh Routray sounded confident about victory from both the constituencies. “We have already started our poll campaign in both the areas. We are pretty hopeful that by winning these seats the number of our MLAs will increase from nine to eleven,” he stated.

On the other hand, BJP’s preparations are also in full swing. According to party sources selection of candidates are in the final phase. “Very soon the right candidates for both the seats will be chosen and their names would be sent to the parliamentary board. We have formulated special electoral strategies for ensuring victory,” said the state General Secretary of the party Prithiviraj Harichandan.

Similarly, the ruling BJD has also started its whirlwind exercise in both the constituencies. A team of five leaders comprising Debasish Samantray, Raghunandan Das, Sanjay Das Burma, Pratap Jena and Prasanta Kumar Muduli, has been formed and given the responsibility of campaign in Tirtol. “We are quite sure of winning both the seats in the upcoming by-elections,” stated Samantray.

Earlier on September 9, the Election Commission of India had decided to conduct by-elections at the 64 vacant assembly constituencies across the country, including two in Odisha – Balasore Sadar and Tirtol by November 29. In Odisha, both the seats fell vacant after the elected MLAs in the respective constituencies died.

BJP MLA from Balasore Sadar segment Madan Mohan Dutta passed away on June 17, 2020 while BJD MLA from Tirtol Bishnu Charan Das had breathed his last on July 6, 2020.

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