Family of former Odisha Congress MLA Subal Sahu join BJD, wife Ritarani to contest Bijepur bypoll

BHUBANESHWAR: In a bid to wrest the Bijepur assembly constituency from Congress, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is likely to field Ritarani Sahu, wife of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu in the by-poll to the seat.

Ritarani, son Sumit Sahu and about 3000 Congress supporters joined BJD today at a special function in the party's state headquarters here in the presence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. However, the move is being strongly resented by many in the Bargarh district BJD as there are many aspirants for a ticket from the ruling party to contest the by-poll.

Prominent among those who oppose the decision to field Ritarani on a BJD ticket from Bijepur in the bypoll is former MLA Ashok Panigrahi, who was lobbying for a party ticket. Sources said Panigrahi is trying for a BJP ticket. But the BJP is yet to take decision on its candidate for the by-poll, senior party leader Sajjan Sharma said.

"We joined the BJD today as per the desires of my late husband," Ritarani said and announced that she will contest the by-poll.  Subal Sahu, a three-time MLA from Bijepur, died on August 22. "My father had started his career with the BJD. He wanted to contest the 2019 Assembly polls from Bijepur constituency as a BJD candidate, but that could not happen for some reason," Sumit said.

Sahu was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly for three consecutive times from the Bijepur constituency in 2004, 2009, 2014 election.  He had defeated top BJD leader Prasanna Acharya in 2014 Assembly polls.

However, Congress chief whip in the assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati said Subal Sahu's family joining BJD will have no impact on the electoral outcome in the constituency. BJD's move to cash in on the sympathy factor by fielding late Subal Sahu's wife will not work in the by-poll, he said and added that many aspirants are lobbying for a Congress ticket to contest the by-poll.

State BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty said the decision to induct late Subal Sahu's family in BJD has indicated that the chief minister is no longer sure that the party can win the by-poll by projecting his image.

Though voters of Bijepur have sympathy for the family of Subal Sahu, the voting will be against the BJD for the state government's failure to provide basic necessities like electricity, drinking water and roads during the last 17 years.