Balasore/Jagatsinghpur: After the announcement of by-polls by Election Commission of India (ECI) for 65 Assembly constituencies in various states, major political parties in Odisha have started the selection process of candidates for Balasore Sadar and Tirtol seats.
Congress party has shortlisted six candidates for Tirtol Assembly constituency and has picked Nabajyoti Patnaik – son of PCC president Niranjan Patnaik as its first choice for Balasore Sadar.
Talking to media persons Sunday, Congress leader Suresh Routray said that his party has started campaigning in these two constituencies. “We will positively win the by-polls in these two constituencies and raise our number in the Assembly from nine to 11,” he asserted.
Congress has formed a committee to supervise the by-polls in Tirtol and Balasore Sadar constituencies. State Congress working president Chiranjib Biswal had formed a committee July 13 and entrusted Jatani MLA Suresh Routray for monitoring the by-poll in Tirtol and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for Balasore Sadar.
The BJP’s state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said that selection of candidates is in the final stage and their names will be sent to the Central parliamentary board in the days ahead.
Coming to ruling BJD, the party supremo has entrusted Debasis Samantray, Raghunandan Das, Sanjay Das Burma, Pratap Jena and Prasant Muduli to supervise Tirtol by-poll. Jena has been appointed as the observer in Balasore district.
Regarding the selection of candidates for these two constituencies, Samantray said that the party supremo will take a call.
PNN
