BHUBANESWAR: The BJD, BJP and Congress on Thursday announced names of prominent leaders as their star campaigners for Bijepur by-election scheduled on October 21.From the BJD camp, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to campaign for the party’s candidate Rita Sahu for two days on October 17 and 18.
Sources in the BJD maintained that the Chief Minister will make a night halt at Bijepur during the campaign trail. He will conduct road shows and address street corner meetings in Bijepur, Gaisilet and Barpali blocks of the Assembly segment and address a public meeting. However, his campaign schedule is yet to be finalised.
Along with the Chief Minister, several ministers, BJD Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya and former minister AU Singhdeo find place in the 40-member list of star campaigners released here on Thursday.
Two aspirants for the by-poll ticket, former Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh and senior BJD leader Pravat Aditya Mishra have also been included in the list of star campaigners. Though the two have not openly challenged Rita’s candidature, they have also not welcomed her nomination.
However, the name of Rural Development Minister Sushant Singh, a member of the BJD’s seven-member coordination committee for Bijepur announced by the Chief Minister, is missing from the list of star campaigners.
As the by-poll has become a prestige issue for BJD and BJP, the ruling party does not want the victory margin to come down compared to general elections. Sources said BJD leaders in charge of different areas of the constituency have become extra cautious in view of their experience from Patkura.
The BJD supremo and Chief Minister was not happy over the reduced margin of the party in Patkura Assembly election during which almost the entire Cabinet and at least two dozen senior leaders had camped in the constituency.
BJP to bring Smriti Irani, JP Nadda
The saffron party has named working president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Smriti Irani and Pratap Sarangi, former chief minister Giridhar Gomang, Lok Sabha member and former union minister Jual Oram, Baijayanta Panda, Suresh Pujari, Sambit Patra, Manoj Tiwari, Basanta Panda, KV Singhdeo, Pradip Purohit and Radharani Panda. The BJP has renominated Sanat Kumar Gartia as the party candidate for Bijepur by-poll.
Sonia, Rahul in Cong list
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former president of the party Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and All India general secretary Priyanka Gandhi have been included in the list of star campaigners. The others include Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former MP and senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia apart from OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik and other senior leaders.