Balasore: A father-son duo of Odisha's Balasore district cleared the annual Matric examination conducted by Odisha State Open School with equal marks.

While the results of the State Open School Certificate Examination were announced yesterday, Arun Kumar Bej (58) and his son Biswajit Bej (30) passed the exam with 342 marks.

Arun, a senior district BJP leader, left his studies after the death of his father when he was in class-VII. Similarly, his son Biswajit hadn't cleared the matric examination as well. He left studies after failing in the class-X exam in 2004 and opened a stationery store.

Joy erupted in the family yesterday after declaration of the results, with the duo becoming matriculates at the same time scoring same marks. Arun Kumar Bej has expressed his desire to enrol for higher education in IGNOU.

Worth mentioning, Bej had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 assembly election from Jaleswar assembly constituency.