Voluntarily-retired IAS officer Aparajita Sarangi, a name in discussion in the State’s political circles now, is likely to contest from the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency on a BJP ticket in the coming general elections.
She would join the saffron party in New Delhi on November 27. While Bhubaneswar remains to be a bastion of the ruling BJD for many years now, the BJP is likely to field Sarangi this time in view of her good work in the capital city during her tenure as the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner.
Senior BJP leader Biswabhusan Harichandan on Friday said his son Prithviraj Harichandan, who had contested form the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat as BJP candidate in 2014, would contest from the Chilika Assembly constituency.
“I spoke to Aparajita Sarangi over phone; and she will be formally joining BJP on November 27. It’s almost finalised that Prithviraj Harichandan will contest from the Chilika Assembly seat,” the senior Harichandan told mediapersons here. Sarangi, a 1994-batch Odisha-cadre IAS officer, was on Central deputation since 2013. She was supposed to return to Odisha in October this year. However, she took retirement under the VRS scheme on November 16.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sarat Rout said Sarangi would pose trouble for the BJD as she was in the administration for long and knows administrative lapses. However, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Prashant Nanda said Sarangi’s joining the BJP would in no way impact the BJD. He cited the instance of Kiran Bedi, saying all know her fate in politics.