Stopped from filing nomination, supporters of BJD’s Kakatpur candidate stage demonstration

Bhubaneswar: The supporters of sitting MLA and BJD candidate from Kakatpur Assembly segment in Puri district, Surendra Sethi staged demonstration outside Naveen Niwas on Friday after the leader was stopped from filing nomination for the upcoming polls.

As per reports, BJD had recently announced Sethi as its candidate for the Kakatpur Assembly seat.

With over 15,000 supporters, Sethi organized a rally in Puri to file his nomination papers yesterday. However, Sethi had to stop the rally midway after receiving a call from the party headquarters. Sources said Sethi was instructed not to file nomination for the upcoming polls.

Aggrieved over the decision, Sethi’s supporters later staged demonstration outside Naveen Niwas.

“Our MLA told us that he was asked not to file nomination today. The 15,000 supporters who had gathered for the nomination are now upset and want to know why he (Sethi) was stopped from filing nomination,” rued Kakatpur BJD block president, Prannath Mallick.

The Zilla Parishad member of Astaranga block, Gadadhar Biswal said, “We have come to meet the CM and we have faith that the decision taken by the CM to field Sethi from Kakatpur will not be changed.” Meanwhile, BJD leaders could not be contacted over the incident.