BJD, Congress candidates file nominations

NABARANGPUR: Countdown begins for Umerkote by-poll with the BJD and the Congress candidates filing their nomination papers on Friday.  The by-election will be a test of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s popularity in the tribal heartland with the State Government launching a series of welfare programmes for the STs.The BJD candidate, Subash Gond, with thousands of supporters in tow reached the collectorate where he filed his papers before the returning officer. He was accompanied by Ministers Surya Narayan Patro and Ramesh Majhi, district BJD president Jayadev Parida, Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi, legislators  Rabinarayan Nanda, Arabinda Dhali, local municipal chairperson Prahallad Tripathy and Umerkote NAC chairperson Jhadeswar Mohanty.The Congress candidate,  Jitendra Gond, was accompanied by senior leader Narasingha Mishra, Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Majhi, legislators Bhujabal Majhi, Ramachandra Kadam, former MLAs Sadan Naik, Tara Prasad Bahinipati, PCC secretary Muna Tripathy, ZP president Bhagirathi Nayak, vice-president Manjula Majhi and Nabarangpur district president Narayan Patro.The two candidates visited Maa Bhandargharani, presiding deity of the town,  before filing papers. Sunadhar Pakulu filed his papers as Republican Party of India candidate.