Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday handed over charges to its key leaders for the upcoming Padampur Assembly by-election in Bargarh district scheduled on December 5.
As per party sources, senior leader and former MP Prasanna Acharya will lead the campaign while former Minister Susanta Singh will be in charge for the management of constituency.
Six Ministers have been assigned various responsibilities in the first phase. The source said three Ministers, Niaranjan Pujari, Naba Kisore Das and Rajendra Dholkia, would be in charge of three blocks, Padampur, Paikmal and Jharbandh, respectively.
Also as per the party’s decision, leaders from the western Odisha region, including Ministers Tukuni Sahoo, Debesh Acharya, Snehangini Chhuria, Rita Sahoo, Saroj Meher, Puspendra Singh Deo will be in charge of the major zones in the constituency. The assignments for the by-poll will be given to other leaders shortly.
The by-poll is necessitated after the demise of BJD MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha last month.