Bijepur bypoll: Friction in Congress over selection of candidate

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the BJD and BJP are over with the selection process of candidates for by-poll to the Bijepur Assembly constituency scheduled on February 24, formation of a committee at this late stage by the Congress for scouting for a nominee has come in for strong criticism.

BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi filed his nomination papers on Friday, while BJD candidate Rita Sahu will file her papers on February 5. Though the Congress will fight the by-poll to retain the seat, its candidate is yet to be announced. A six-member committee headed by former chief minister Hemananda Biswal was formed on January 27 to visit Bijepur and submit report to the high command recommending names of suitable candidates for the bypoll.

However, another committee was formed two months back with Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das as convenor to recommend names of candidates. The members of both the committees, except Biswal are same. Raising the issue in a letter to president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan, former union minister Srikant Jena said after the previous committee submitted its report, a meeting of senior leaders including those from Western Odisha was held at the Congress Bhavan here. “Candidature of Pranay Sahu was finalised at the meeting which continued for three hours,” Jena said.

All the members of the new committee were also there in the old committee, Jena said and added that they were also present at the meeting c o n v e n e d b y Harichandan at Congress Bhavan. When BJD and BJP have already selected their candidates, what is the relevance of Congress starting its selection process now, Jena asked and advised Harichandan to recommend the name of Sahu as decided earlier.

Convenor of the candidate selection committee, Naba Kishore Das, however, told mediapersons that names of former minister Ripunath Seth and Pranay Sahu have been recommended to the AICC. The Congress will soon announce its candidate, Das said and claimed the party will win the by-poll.