By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 30, 2019: The bypoll for the Bijepur assembly seat is getting heated up with the candidates of the three major political parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress filing their nomination papers on Monday – the last date for the filing of nominations.

The seat was vacated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who had won both Bijepur and Hinjili Assembly Constituencies in the last Assembly poll this year.

BJD candidate Rita Sahu, BJP candidate Sanat Gartia and Dillip Panda of Congress submitted their nomination papers before the Returning Officer at the Sub-collector office in Padampur.

Rita Sahu exuded confidence to retain the seat, “The people of Bijepur have deep faith in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and me. With the blessings of the voters, I will definitely win the election.”

Rita Sahu, wife of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu, was elected as Bijepur MLA on BJD ticket in February last year following the death of her husband in August 2017.

Congress candidate Dillip Panda said people have started imposing faith in the party as they are fed up with the misrule of the BJP and BJD.

The bypoll to Bijepur Assembly constituency will be held on October 21. The counting of votes will be held on October 24.