By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PIPILI: In a bid to keep the State’s youth and students masses happy, Naveen Patnaik on Friday played yet another young card by putting late Pradeep Maharathy’s son , Rudrapratap against BJP’s Ashrit Patnaik for the April 17 bye elections.
Chief Minister Patnaik flanked by Party’s Poll Observer and Aul MLA Pratap Deb, former Minister Maheswar Mohanty and Jajpur MLA Boby Das, announced the name of Rudrapratap for the polls.
Rudrapratap said, “I am optimistic about victory. My priority is to serve the people of Delang-Pipili. I will complete some of the unfinished works of my late father.” The BJD nominee said, “I have the blessings of my mother and late father.”
Meanwhile, accompanied by party leaders and supporters, BJP candidate Ashrit Pattnayak on Friday filed his nomination for the bypolls at the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Office in Puri by adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Pattnayak had lost the previous election to BJD candidate Pradeep Maharathy by 15,787 votes.
State Congress sources said Ajit Mangaraj, Purna Chandra Swain and Nishikant Mishra are the front-runners for the Pipili seat as Party candidate.
