BJD candidates nominated for RS polls file nomination papers

Biju Janta Dal candidates, who have been nominated for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election by the party, filed their nomination papers at the Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday.

Biju Janta Dal candidates, Dr Sasmit Patra, Sulata Deo, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, and Niranjan Bishi are only the candidate who has filed the nomination for four vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha.

"Our leader and Chief Minister has always emphasized women empowerment and given importance to them in every election, I will give my best to work for the people of the State and to fulfill the expectations of the party and our leader," BJD Spokesperson Sulata Deo told ANI.

Meanwhile, BJD general secretary Dr Sasmit Patra said, "I am deeply grateful to our leader and Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik for renominating me for a second term in Rajya Sabha and giving me another opportunity to serve the people of Odisha. I will strive to ensure that the voice of Odisha and its just demands are heard through my interventions in Parliament and in the Union Ministries of India at Delhi."

Patra expressed happiness on filing his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections.

"Heartiest Congratulations to my Party colleagues, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, Sulata Deo, and Niranjan Bishi on their nomination to Rajya Sabha by our leader Hon'ble CM Shri. Naveen Patnaik. I look forward to working with them on the development of Odisha," he tweeted.

"I am deeply thankful to my leader and CM Naveen Patnaik for renominating me to Rajya Sabha. As I file my nomination today, I humbly seek the blessings of my 4.5 crore Odia sisters and brothers. I commit and pledge to be their strong voice in Parliament, for their cause," he added.

The tenure of three Rajya Sabha MPs namely N Bhaskar Rao, Prasanna Acharya, and Sasmit Patra is ending on July 1 this year while one Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha fell vacant after Subhash Singh had resigned from the post after being elected as the Mayor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation in March 2022.

( With inputs from ANI )