BHUBANESWAR: After prolonged dithering, Congress on Sunday announced to field
Pranay Sahu as its candidate for February 24 bypoll at
Bijepur assembly constituency in Bargarh district. Pranay currently holds the post of vice-chairman of Gaisilat block. Bijepur seat fell vacant following the demise of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August last year.
Though BJD and
BJP had already announced names of their candidates, Congress, which held the fort on Bijepur for past three terms since 2004, announced Pranay's name just two days before the February 6 deadline of filing nominations. Pranay is likely to file his papers on Tuesday.
It will be a prestige issue for the Congress to retain Bijepur seat in the wake of twin jolts--demise of MLA Sahu and subsequent flight of his family into BJD fold. Subal's wife Rita is BJD's candidate for Bijepur.
Minutes after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) made Pranay's selection for the Bijepur battle, party's Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das expressed displeasure over the delay in finalizing the candidate. Das, who was one of the members in two separate committees formed to recommend names of suitable candidates, said the name of suitable candidate should have been declared at least two months ago. "I was part of a four-member committee formed in October last year. We had recommended names of two aspirants—Ripunath Seth and Pranay Sahu. The inordinate delay in announcing the candidate may affect our party's functioning," Das told TOI. A second committee, headed by former chief minister
Hemananda Biswal, was formed last week to select candidates.
Das, who reportedly lobbied for Seth, a former Congress minister, said both Pranay and Seth are equally capable leaders. "Our party would have got enough time for groundworks and galvanized workers on field had name of suitable candidate been announced much earlier," Das said.
Speculation is rife that Pranay's candidature is likely to fuel revolt in Congress, which has been facing unending infighting since long. "We had seen discontentment among Bijepur leaders in BJD and BJP after announcement of their candidates. Congress is as such a divided house.
Local Congress leaders in Bijepur may react in the same manner as Ripunath Seth was also an aspirant. He and his supporters may express displeasure," an analyser said.
Congress state president Prasad Harichandan, who has been facing revolt from colleagues, said all is well within the party. "We are confident of retaining Bijepur seat as it continued to be a Congress stronghold. All leaders will fight united against BJD and BJP. Our candidate Pranay will win,"
Harichandan said. Pranay said he would seek the support of all leaders and people of Bijepur to win the poll.
