Bhubaneswar: Putting an end to widespread speculations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially announced the candidacy of Railway Minister Aswini Vaishnaw for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for February 27.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP released a list of Rajya Sabha candidates, nominating Vaishnaw to represent Odisha in the Upper House.
In 2019, Aswini Vaishnaw secured a seat in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha with the support of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Now, with the BJP fielding him as their candidate, the political landscape anticipates an interesting contest.
On Tuesday, two candidates from the BJD, Debashish Samantaray and Subhasish Khuntia, submitted their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections. Aswini Vaishnaw’s name had been circulating in discussions regarding his potential re-election to the Upper House from Odisha.
In a significant development, the BJD, led by President Naveen Patnaik, declared its support for the candidature of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the ensuing Rajya Sabha election in Odisha. Patnaik emphasized that the party’s decision to support Vaishnaw is driven by the larger interest of the state’s railways and telecom development.