Campaign for Kandhamal LS bypoll comes to an end

Curtains were drawn on the high voltage campaign for the October 15 by-election to the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat in Odisha today after rains triggered by cyclone Hudhud dampened electioneering in the last leg.
Campaign ended on a dull note this evening as incessant downpour coupled with gusty winds lashed most parts of the constituency spread over four districts of Kandhamal, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Boudh since yesterday.
Stalwarts of all major political parties including BJP, Congress and BJD hit the over-fortnight long campaign turf, while many of their leaders were seen making a last ditch bid to woo the electorate armed with umbrellas and rain-coats, undeterred by the downpour.

The by-election for Kandhamal parliamentary constituency was necessitated following the demise of Hemendra Chandra Singh last month, who had won the seat in the general elections held in April this year as a BJD candidate.
The din and bustle of electioneering fell silent after leaders of Congress, BJP and BJD campaigned on the last day holding rallies and resorting to door-to-door canvassing.
During the entire campaign period, a battery of high profile leaders of all three parties camped in the area and took part in electioneering in the constituency comprising seven Assembly segments.
While the ruling BJD has fielded Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, widow of ex-MP Hemendra Singh, BJP has nominated Rudramadhab Ray and Congress has put up Abhimanyu Behera in the race. Four others are also in the fray as independent candidates.