Summary:
Sahu’s wife Rita won the bypoll on a BJD ticket.With 2019 elections nearing, the BJD is trying to poach some key Congress leaders from different pockets that continued to be Congress strongholds, sources said. History is likely to repeat itself after five years for Congress with Naba Kishore Das all set to join BJD within a fortnight. Names of Congress Salipur MLA Prakash Chandra Behera and Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Kumar Singh of quitting Congress are also doing the rounds for quite some time. Bijepur seat, which had been represented by Subal Sahu of Congress for three terms since 2004, went to the BJD during the February 2018 bypoll after his family joined the ruling party. Those, who fail to cope with Congress ideology and look for commercial gains will leave the party,” Niranjan said..