The family members of late Subal Sahu former Congress MLA from Bijepur and his wife Rita Sahu, sitting BJD MLA from the constituency have thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for deciding to contest from Bijepur Assembly seat.
Ainthu Sahu, the elder brother of the late Subal Sahu had appreciated the decision of the BJD supremo and said, “Naveen Patnaik has made the best choice to chose Bijepur as his constituency.”
“My entire family welcomes Patnaik to our place,” said Ainthu Sahu.
He further said, “I feel more privileged that none other than a chief minister will represent the constituency held by my late brother and my sister in law Rita Sahu, the sitting MLA.
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik who had been contesting from Hinjili Assembly seat since 2000 Assembly elections, however, this time decided to contest from Bijepur also besides his home constituency Hinjili.
A jubilant Ainthu Sahu further said, “we have already got a chief minister from Western Odisha and Bijepur in Particular.”
The development of the constituency will be accelerated further with Mr Patnaik as MLA, he said, adding that Naveen did all that he promised in the by-election.
“Bijepur, he said will make a history with a chief minister from here,” “This time the BJD Chief will get more votes than that of the by election,” a confident Ainthu Sahu said.
Ms Rita Sahu, the sitting MLA of Bijepur who won the by election as BJD candidate after demise of her husband Subal Sahu who held the seat as Congress candidate, has also welcomed the decision of the chief minister.
“It is our good luck that Naveen Patnaik expressed interest to contest election from here, she said.
After R N Singhdeo and Hemananda Biswal, she said Naveen Patnaik will be another strong chief minister from western Odisha,”
The Opposition Congress and the BJP leaders however, have opined that the chief minister is not confident of winning his traditional Assembly seat from Hinjili this time and so he has decided to have another assembly seat in western Odisha to contest in the election. (UNI)
