Bhubaneswar, October 14: Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sujeet Kumar on Tuesday said that the party candidate will file nomination for the forthcoming by-election in Nuapada on October 16 in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The by-election is scheduled for November 11.

“The candidate for the Nuapada by-election has been finalized. A formal announcement of name will be made soon. The candidate will file nomination on October 16 in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior party leaders. Over 2,000 BJD and Congress workers will also join BJP on that day,” said Kumar.

Recently, Jay Dholakia, son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia and once seen as the BJD's probable candidate for Nuapada, joined the BJP in Bhubaneswar in the presence of CM Majhi and party Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal. He is now widely expected to contest the bypoll, which was necessitated by his father's demise.

The saffron party is banking on public sympathy for the Dholakia family and its grassroots strength to reclaim the seat from its former ally BJD headed by former Chief Minister Naveen patnaik. While the BJP's parliamentary board is yet to formally announce its candidate, the CM has already dropped a strong hint by invoking Rajendra Dholakia's vision for Nuapada during the Mishran Parba on October 11 at the BJP headquarters in Bhubaneswar.

While the Congress has nominated Ghasiram Majhi, the BJD is in intense discussions to select a suitable candidate for the crucial bypoll.