Bijepur Assembly by-election to be held on Oct 21: CEO

With the Election Commission of India announcing that by-election to the Bijepur assembly segment will be held on October 21, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in Odisha's Bargarh district, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Kumar.

Bijepur assembly seat in Western Odisha's Bargarh district was vacated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as he retained the Hinjili assembly segment in Ganjam district. Patnaik had won both from Hinjili and Bijepur seat in the 2019 Assembly election.

The notification for the by-election to the Bijepur assembly segment will be issued on September 23, the CEO said.

The last date of filing of nominations is September 23, the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on October 1, the CEO said.

Counting of votes will be held on October 24, he said.

Kumar said 2,32,005 voters will be eligible to cast their votes in 285 polling booths. There are 1,19,916 male voters and 1,12,074 women along with 15 members of the third gender are eligible to vote.

All the three major parties - ruling BJD and opposition BJP and Congress, have meanwhile started preparation for the by-poll, but no one has yet announced names of their candidates.

"We are prepared for the by-poll and optimistic of winning the elections," said BJP state president Basant Kumar Panda.

Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said his party has already set up a committee headed by Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra for Bijepur by-polls. "The people will this time vote for Congress as Patnaik has betrayed them by opting to retain Hinjili assembly segment," Bahinipati said.

BJD leader Sanjay Dasburma said: "The party president will choose the party candidate for the by-poll in Bijepur.