Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra as well as BJD endorsed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Aswini Vaishnab filed their respective nomination papers here on Monday for elections to the three seats to the Rajya Sabha by-polls from Odisha.
The BJD candidates filed their nomination papers before the concerned Returning Officer in the presence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh and several party leaders.
#WATCH : #BJD Rajya Sabha candidates #AmarPatnaik and #SasmitPatra file their nomination papers in the presence of CM #NaveenPatnaik #Odisha #RajyaSabhaBypolls pic.twitter.com/FmNYuRhvK1
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Interestingly, some BJD leaders were also present when saffron leader Vaishnab filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha by-polls. BJP legislators Jayanarayan Mishra, Pradipta Naik and several saffron leaders also accompanied former bureaucrat during his filing of nomination papers today.
Amar Patnaik filed nomination papers for the seat vacated by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, while Sasimt Patra filed papers to fill up Pratap Deb’s term. BJP leader Aswini Vaishnab will go to the Upper House in place of Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.
While BJD leaders filed three sets of nomination papers each while Ashwini Vaishnaw filed two sets of papers.
Sources said, Sasmit Patra’s tenure in the Rajya Sabha will end on July 2024, while the term of Amar Patnaik and Ashwini Baishnab will continue till April 2024.
The three seats fell vacant after Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Pratap Keshari Deb resigned following their victories in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
While KIIT and KISS founder Dr. Samanta was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kandhamal constituency, Patnaik and Deb were elected to the Assembly from Khandapada and Aul segments respectively.
Polling will be held on July 5 between 9 AM and 4 PM, while Counting of votes will take place at 5 PM on the same day.
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