Fight for rights of Odisha: CM Naveen Patnaik to BJD's Rajya Sabha nominees

BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday asked the four Rajya Sabha nominees of the BJD to work to protect the rights of the people of Odisha.

The Chief Minister had a video conference with the four candidates along with senior leaders, ministers, MPs and MLAs and advised them to raise issues concerning the State in a proper manner so that they are heard at the national level. "4.5 crore people are my family. You should fight to protect their rights," he told the candidates. 

The BJD had nominated Sasmit Patra, Sulata Deo, Manas Mangaraj and Niranjan Bishi for the four vacant seats in the Upper House from Odisha. The candidates filed their nomination papers in the presence of BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, senior leaders Prasanna Acharya and Prasanna Patsani.

While Patra will have a second consecutive nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the remaining three will be first timers in the Upper House. The BJD is set to win all the four seats as it has a strength of 122 members in the Assembly. While BJP did not field a candidate, Congress don’t have the numbers to enter the fray.