Puri: BJD candidate for the Pipili by-polls Rudrapratap Maharathy filed his nomination here Tuesday. Rudrapratap incidentally is the son of Pradeep Maharathy, who was the MLA of the Pipili constituency before his demise. With Tuesday being the last day of filing nominations, a number of other candidates including Ajit Mangaraj of the Congress also filed their nominations.
Rudrapratap came to file his nominations with a huge entourage of supporters. He came to the ADM’s office here to file his nomination. “I will follow my father’s footstep in serving the people of Pipili constituency to my best capabilities. I am sure that the people of Pipili will bless and support me the way they have been doing my father,” Rudrapratap said after filing his papers.
The rally started from the BJD party office in Pipili. Both Rudrapratap and his sister Pallavi could not keep in check their emotions as the procession went towards the ADM office. Both were in tears while remembering their father.
En route, the rally stopped at the Bata Mangala temple, about seven kilometres away from Puri town where Rudrapratap offered prayers. Later, Minister Samir Dash and Chandbali MLA Byomkesh Ray joined the procession.
Mangaraj also filed his nomination papers accompanied by a large number of leaders including PCC president Niranjan Patnaik.
BJP’s nominee Ashrit Pattanayak had already filed his nomination papers.
Notably, the demise of Pipili MLA Pradeep on October 4 last year has necessitated in the by-poll.
PNN