Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday announced the formation of three committees to strategize for the upcoming by-election in the Nuapada assembly segment, scheduled for November 11.
BJD Lawmaker and MLA Balangir Shri Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, an MLA from Bolangir, expressed his gratitude to party president Naveen Patnaik for assigning him a specific role in the by-election campaign. Shri Singh Deo leads a Zonal Team.
The by-poll was necessitated by the death of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia in September. This will be the first by-election since the BJP formed the government in Odisha.
The three panels constituted by the BJD are a six-member Steering Committee, a Zonal Committee, and a Local Action Committee. The Steering Committee, which will monitor the overall campaign, includes senior party leaders such as Shri Prasanna Acharya and others.
The Zonal Committee will oversee specific zones, and the Local Action Committee will work with polling booths and village-level workers. BJD Lawmaker and MLA Balangir Shri Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has expressed his gratitude to party President Shri Naveen Patnaik for assigning him a specific role in the by-election campaign.
“Grateful to Naveen Odisha and BJD Odisha for giving me a specific responsibility to live up to Raju Dholakia’s legacy. He has served the people of Nuapada his entire life,” Shri Singh Deo posted on social media. He further described the task as a challenge for social service and recognition of the late MLA’s legacy for the people of Nuapada and Odisha.
While the party has established its organizational framework and assigned roles, it has yet to officially announce its candidate. BJD senior vice-president Shri Debi Prasad Mishra indicated that the party is likely to field Rajendra Dholakia’s son, Joy Dholakia.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has already named Ghasiram Majhi as its nominee. The Governing BJP is still deliberating on its candidate, with former MP Shri Basant Panda, his son Shri Abhinandan Panda, and Shri Jadumani Panigrahi reportedly among the names under consideration. The counting of votes for the Nuapada by-election is slated for November 14.