Bhubaneswar: Former Rajya Sabha Member Sujeet Kumar has officially filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll from Odisha, scheduled for December 20. The nomination process took place at the Odisha Legislative Assembly in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and BJP Odisha President Manmohan Samal.
Earlier today, the BJP finalized Kumar’s candidacy for the bypoll. Notably, Kumar had served as a Rajya Sabha member since 2020 after being nominated by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). However, he resigned from his position on September 6, 2023, and was subsequently expelled from the BJD on the same day for alleged anti-party activities. His term was initially set to end on April 2, 2026.
The Rajya Sabha seat, vacated due to Kumar’s resignation, will witness polling on December 20 as per the Election Commission’s schedule. Voting will take place between 9 AM and 4 PM, with the counting of votes set to begin at 5 PM on the same day.
The Election Commission of India (ECI)) had on November 26 announced by-election to six Rajya Sabha seats, including one from Odisha. While December 10 is the last date for filing nomination, voting is scheduled to be held on December 20.
