PADAMPUR (BARGARH) : Following in the footsteps of BJP and BJD, Congress also put up a massive show of strength on Tuesday as its candidate Pranaya Sahu filed nomination for Bijepur by-election amid an impressive turnout.Poll pundits opined that Bijepur by-poll is all set to witness a triangular fight after the mega show by Congress which seems, will give both BJP and BJD a run for their money. Sources said the gathering at Congress rally comprised genuine voters from the district and had not been mobilised from other areas.
Presence of senior leaders like Odisha in-charge of Congress Subhankar Sarkar, former Union Minister Srikant Jena, OPCC president Prasad Harichandan, Jayadev Jena and Pradip Majhi gave a boost to the morale of party workers of the Assembly segment who had turned out in large numbers for Sahu’s nomination rally.
In the public meeting held at RMC ground ahead of filing of nomination, Congress leaders said both BJD and BJP have lost the moral right to rule the State. Congress, which has not poached candidate from other parties, will retain Bijepur, the leaders said and urged voters to teach BJD and BJP a lesson in the by-poll.
The Congress leaders claimed that party candidate Sahu will win the by-poll and continue the winning streak set by Subal Sahu who had won three times in a row from Bijepur till his death on August 22 last year.
Former Bijepur MLA and a Congress aspirant for the by-poll Ripunath Seth was seen by the side of Sahu, indicating that all was well between the competitors. However, Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra and Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kisore Das were conspicuous by their absence. Sahu hails from Kulta community which forms a major chunk of the electorate. Moreover, he is the first candidate from Gaiselet block after 1977. There is every possibility that Kulta community and Gaiselet block will throw weight behind Sahu to help Congress win the by-election.
