BJD candidate for the October 15 by-election to the Kandhamal Parliamentary seat Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, widow of former MP Hemendra Chandra Singh, filed her nomination here on Thursday.
Pratyusha was the first candidate from any political party to file the papers before Returning Officer NT Nayak for the by-election.
The BJD nominee was taken in a procession by party workers, accompanied by Ministers Arun Sahu, Bikram Arukh, Pradeep Maharathy and Pradip Amat and other BJD leaders to the district Collectorate with placards having photos of her late husband, whose untimely demise on September 5 has necessitated the by-poll.
Pratyusha, who belongs to the Nayagarh royal family, had come here on Wednesday night along with her son, daughter and other family members. BJP candidate Rudra Madhab Ray and Congress nominee Abhimanyu Behera would be filing their papers on Friday, the last date for filing nominations.