The Union Minister campaigned for BJP candidate Ashrit Pattanayak from the Pipili constituency.
Lustily cheered by crowds, Pradhan stood atop a decorated vehicle with Pattanayak and appealed the voters to cast their votes to BJP candidate for the all-round development in Pipili assembly segment.
The Union Minister’s roadshow covered from Uttara Square to Madhupur to Kamanatia in Pipili block. Later, Pradhan is scheduled to campaign at Rupadeipur, Delanga, Rathapurushottampur and Saraswatipur of Delanga block in the constituency.
Earlier in the morning, the Union Minister paid floral tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary at BJP party office in Bhubaneswar.
Notably, the Pipili by-election will be held on September 30 after being postponed thrice for different reasons. The counting of votes will take place on October 3.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy (BJD) due to Covid-related complications in October 2020.
The BJD has fielded Rudra Prasad Maharathy, son of the deceased MLA to sail through the election on the sympathy factor, while Ashrit Pattanayak is BJP’s candidate. Congress has nominated Bishwokeshan Harichandan Mohapatra after Mangaraj’s death. There are seven other candidates in the fray.
In 2019 elections, BJD leader Pradeep Maharathy won from Pipili Assembly segment with a margin of 15,787 votes from his nearest opponent, Ashrit Pattanayak.
