BJP to field candidates for two RS seats in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Mar 8 (UNI) The Orissa BJP today decided to field two candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election in the state and authorised its President Juel Oram to take up the matter with party's Central Election Committee.

The party's core committee, election committee and the State Legislature party meeting which held here today in presence of BJP national general secretary in charge of Orissa Vinaya Katiyar discussed the names of at least twelve candidates who had shown keen interest to contest the election.

Elections would be held to four Rajya Sabha Orissa seats which had fallen vacant. While the terms of two Biju Janata Dal and one BJP members were expired, BJP member Chhatrapal Singh Lodha was expelled from the Rajya Sabha due to sting operation.

The three members whose terms expired were Mr Birabhadra Singh and Mr Baijant Panda (both BJD) and Mr Rudra Pani( BJP).

The BJP this time had decided not to field outside candidates as there has been discontentment in the rank and file of the party to nominate outsiders for the two seats.

Party sources said Mr Oram had left for Delhi to attend the Central Election Committee meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow to finalise the list.

In the 147 member Orissa Assembly, the Biju Janata Dal has a strength of 61 members while its alliance partner BJP has 32 members. The major Opposition Congress has a strength of 38 members.

The CPI and the CPM has one member each, while the JMM has four members and the Orissa Gana Parishad has two members and the Independent has a total strength of eight members.

Judging the party wise strength in the Assembly, the ruling BJD-BJP combine would have easy going for three candidates while the Congress would be able to send one member to the Upper House.

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