Two BJD leaders file papers for RS bypoll

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, June 23: Former Minister A.U.Singh Deo and former Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh on Monday filed nomination papers as Biju Janata Dal’s candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats for which bypoll was scheduled to be held on July 3.The two leaders filed their nomination papers with Amiya Kumar Sarangi, Secretary of Odisha Assembly and Returning Officer for Rajya Sabha pollThe two seats were vacated by Shashi Bhusan Behera and Rabinarayan Mohapatra, both BJD leaders who resigned as Rajya Sabha Members after they won the recently held Assembly elections.While the term for the seat vacated by Behera was to end in July 2016, the term for the seat vacated by Mohapatra was to end in April 2018.While Singh Deo filed nomination papers for the seat vacated by Mohapatra, Singh filed his papers for the post vacated by Behera.Singh Deo was in fact elected as a Rajya Sabha Member weeks before the general elections.He, however, had not taken oath as a Rajya Sabha Member as he was asked to fight the Assembly election from Bolangir Assembly seat.He lost the Assembly poll.Singh had quit Congress in the run up to the polls.He was not fielded as a candidate in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and was apparently promised a Rajya Sabha berth by Patnaik.On the other hand, resentment was growing among the BJD legislators over Chief Minister and party president Naveen Patnaik’s decision to choose Singh Deo and Singh for the Rajya Sabha.The resentment had started since actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty was elected to the Rajya Sabha a few days ago.