Bhubaneswar: The BJP has finally picked Sanat Gadtia to fight against BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from Bijepur Assembly constituency that will go to polls in the second phase April 18.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP has announced the name late Monday night. Gadtia, who had deserted BJP for BJD in 2008, had returned to the party fold ahead of Bijepur by-poll in February 2018. Congress has already nominated Ripunath Seth for the MLA seat.
Though the Congress won the MLA seat in 2014 polls, ruling BJD snatched it in the by-poll held last year following the death of the MLA Subala Sahu. The BJD had picked up Subala’s widow Rita Sahu for the seat and won the by-poll with a huge margin.
Now, Naveen, who has been contesting from Hinjili Assembly segment, has this time filed nominations for Bijepur seat in addition to his own constituency.
For Hinjili seat, the BJP has named party spokesperson Pitambar Acharya while Congress has nominated Shambhunath Panigrahi.