Bhubaneswar: The race for the Nuapada Assembly seat is heating up in Odisha following the declaration of candidates by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and the Congress. 

The BJD announced a list of over 50 senior leaders who will spearhead the party’s campaigns in the Nuapada bypoll, with each leader assigned special responsibilities for different blocks and NAC areas of the district. 

The party has deployed 18 senior leaders, each for campaigning in Nuapada and Komna blocks. 

Meanwhile, eight have been assigned the task to spearhead the campaign for the party’s candidate in Nuapada and Khariar Road Notified Area Councils. 

The senior leaders deployed for campaigning include Pranab Prakash Das, Arun Sahoo, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Pratap Deb, Umakanta Samantaray, Pradip Majhi, Niranjan Pujari, Sanjay Das Burma, etc. 

Notably, BJD President and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced veteran leader and former minister Snehangini Chhuria as its candidate for the Nuapada Assembly by-election, to be held on November 11. 

Patnaik also termed the two-time BJD MLA a strong leader from Western Odisha who has been a tremendous asset to the party. 

The ruling BJP had earlier on Thursday also released a list of 40 senior leaders who will campaign for the party’s candidate, Jay Dholakia, during the Nuapada by-election. 

The list includes Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jual Oram, Organisational in charge Sunil Bansal, Odisha in charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar and co-in charge Lata Usendi, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal. 

Moreover, several ministers of the state government, BJP MPs and MLAs will also do the campaigning in favour of the BJP candidate Dholakia. 

Meanwhile, the Congress has fielded tribal leader Ghasiram Majhi as the party candidate for the by-election.

(IANS)