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Bhubaneswar, May 24: With the Election Commission issuing notification for biennial elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats, the state Assembly Tuesday ordered conduct of election for three RS seats from Orissa June 11.
“Elections will be held for three seats to the Council of States by the elected members of the Orissa Legislative Assembly in pursuance of Election Commission’s Notification,” said a notification issued by the returning officer.
As per the notification, the last date for filing nominations is May 31 and scrutiny of nominations June 1. The deadline for withdrawal of candidatures is June 3.
The elections will be conducted in the Assembly building June 11 between 9am and 4pm and counting of votes will also take place the same day.
Election to the three seats was necessitated by the completion of tenure of Rajya Sabha members Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, Bhupinder Singh and Baishnab Pariba by July 1.
Given the majority of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), all three seats are set to be captured by the ruling party and it is assumed that only BJD, which has 117 members in the 147-member House, will nominate candidates for the three seats.
Soon after the notification, hectic lobbying started in BJD camp with over a dozen leaders keen to jump into the fray.
According sources, names doing the rounds are Pratap Keshari Deb from coastal belt, Prasanna Acharya and Bimbadhar Kuanr from Western belt and N Bhaskar Rao from the south.
It is being speculated that the ruling party may reserve a seat for an apolitical candidate such as sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, film maker Nilamadhab Panda and sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik.
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Sashi Bhusan Behera said, “The party had nominated sportspersons, actors and persons from other backgrounds.”
“This time around the party supremo may nominate suitable persons to the Upper house,” he added.
