BJD nominates Prasanna Acharya, Bishnu Das, Bhaskar Rao to Rajya Sabha

Putting all rumors and speculations into rest, BJD President and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, has finally announced the candidates for Rajya Sabha biennial polls. Former Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya, BJD stalwart Bishnu Charan Das and Odisha State Planning Board Deputy Chairman N Bhaskar Rao got the final nod. All three leaders are staunch loyalists of CM Naveen Patnaik.

All three leaders are staunch loyalists of CM Naveen Patnaik. Both Prasanna Acharya and N Bhaskar Rao are also the Vice Presidents of the BJD.

Prasanna Acharya, the BJD veteran from Western Odisha, had suffered a shock defeat in Bijepur in 2014 polls after his seat was changed from Redhakhol at the last minute. Bishnu Charan Das, the BJD District President of Jagatsinghpur, is the arch-rival of Dr. Damodar Rout. He is said to be Naveen’s counter to Dama Babu.

N. Bhaskar Rao, the BJD heavyweight from Rayagada District, who had been in the news during all Rajya Sabha polls in the last few years, finally got the nod. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chairman of Odisha State Planning Board.

Names of outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Bhupinder Singh, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb, former Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda and former Lok Sabha MP Hema Gamang were doing the rounds. But, as expected, Naveen Patnaik yet again sprung the surprise and left the political analysts dumb-founded.