Odisha to continue demand for special category status: Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik

Naveen Patnaik

Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates for the upcoming elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Achyuta Samanta and Prasanta Nanda filed their nomination papers in the presence of CM Naveen Patnaik on Friday. Mr. Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Mr. Samanta had joined the BJD on Wednesday and the CM announced their names as party nominees for the RS election the same day.

Earlier, BJD s leader in Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab has said that Odisha will intensify its demand if the Centre grants special category status to Andhra Pradesh. "We have been demanding Special Category Status for Odisha since long and are doing so again", the Chief Minister told reporters. To criticism on his joining the BJD, Soumya Ranjan said there are two kinds of criticism - one is constructive while the other is without any reason or basis. When asked to react to criticism over his nomination, he said, he accepts such critics as it helps him in moving forward. Talking to reporters after filing papers, Samanta said he will give importance to issues that the party raises and those which will be in the interest of the State. However, taking into consideration the absolute majority of the BJD in the state Assembly with 118 members in the 147-member house, the election would be a formality even if the opposition fields any candidate. In the Assembly Congress has 14 members and BJP 10 MLAs.

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Returning Officer Rajesh Prabhakar Patil received the nomination papers. Three seats in Rajya Sabha from the state will fall vacant as the tenure of BJD Members A U Singhdeo and Dilip Tirkey as well as BJD-backed Independent candidate A V Swami is scheduled to end on April 2.

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