Tarai gets BJP ticket for J’singhpur LS seat

BHUBANESWAR: The central election committee (CEC) of the BJP on Saturday announced the name of former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai as the party candidate from Jagatsinghpur Parliamentary constituency.
The party also named candidates for two Assembly segments. Former BJD MLA Rabi Mallick and Sunakar Behera have been fielded from Kakatpur and Kendrapara Assembly seats respectively. The two seats are reserved for the Scheduled Caste.

The former spokesperson of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Tarai resigned form the primary membership of the grand old party on Wednesday even after his nomination by the party for the Tirtol Assembly seat. He joined the BJP on Thursday.
Protesting over ticket distribution by Congress, the former MP from Jagatsingpur, who was aspiring for party ticket from the Parliamentary seat, said the decision of the party to field a person having serious criminal charges was not acceptable.

He won the seat in 2009 on CPI ticket. Tarai was later expelled from the party over alleged anti-party activities following which he joined the Congress ahead of the 2014 General Elections.
Sources said the BJP was in touch with sitting BJD MP Kulamani Samal who was rumoured to join the saffron party after denial of renomination by the regional party. 

However, things could not materialise as the BJD assured him of Rajya Sabha membership. 
Tarai will now contest against two women candidates - Rajashree Mallick of the BJD and Pratima Mallick of the Congress. Earlier, the BJP had named Tusarkanti Behera as its candidate for Kakatpur Assembly segment under Jagatsingpur Parliamentary seat. But immediately after announcement of his candidature, Behera switched over to the BJD and became the candidate of the regional party for Kakatpur (SC) seat.
Rabi Mallick, who was elected from Kakatpur on BJD ticket in 2009, was lobbying hard for his nomination from the seat but was denied ticket.