Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD in Odisha on Friday announced former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey and senior leader Rabi Mohapatra as its Rajya Sabha candidates for
two of the three seats, while deciding against fielding a
third for the biennial elections scheduled for March 30.
Announcing this, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen
Patnaik said "as we do not have the assurance of support of
NCP and a lone CPI member in the assembly we will not be
fielding a third candidate."
While the ruling BJD has 103 members in the 147-member
assembly, there are four NCP and a CPI members in the house.
Congress has 27 members and BJP has six. There are also three
Independents.
The chief minister said that Tirkey, a five time
Olympian, would raise the issues of youth in Parliament.
Describing Mohapatra, the party`s Nayagarh district
president, as a selfless social worker, Patnaik said he had
been associated with the party since the days of legendary
Biju Patnaik.
"He is a very long time associate of Biju parivar. He
was associated with the party when I was not in politics," the
chief minister said.
PTI
