Congress names Abhimanyu Behera for Kandhamal

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Sep 24: Congress on Wednesday announced that Abhimanyu Behera will be its candidate for the forthcoming by-poll in Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency in Odisha.Behera, a senior leader of the party, had won the Assembly election from Phulbani segment way back in 1985.The party announced Behera as it candidate for the October 15 by-poll in Kandhamal after a series of discussions during the past several days.His name as candidate for Kandhamal was cleared by the All-India Congress Committee on Thursday.The Bharatiya Janata Party has already announced that former BJD MP Rudra Madhab Ray will be their nominee, while the Biju Janata Dal has announced that Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, widow of the late Hemendra Chandra Singh, will be its candidate for Kandhamal.The last date of filing of nomination papers for the by-poll is September 26.A triangular contest is said to be on the cards in Kandhamal.The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Hemendra Chandra Singh on September 5.