BJP vice-president, secretary, 10 others put in papers

BERHAMPUR (ORISSA), FEBRUARY 3: Vice-president of Orissa unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), Anadi Sahu and party state secretary Kunja Behari Panigrahi have submitted their resignation from organisational posts in protest against the selection of party candidates from Ganjam district for the coming assembly polls.

Along with Sahu, a Lok Sabha MP from Berhampur, and Panigrahi, 10 other office-bearers of the district unit sent in their joint resignation letter to the BJP state president Manmohan Samal yesterday, a copy of which was released to the press on Wednesday. The selection of party candidates has disappointed all office-bearers and party workers of the district, the letter said. Meanwhile in New Delhi, the BJP said today that the party would project a chief ministerial candidate for Orissa only after the last date of withdrawal of nominations for the assembly elections. “The issue of the chief ministerial candidate would be discussed after the last date of withdrawal and only then will adecision be taken,” BJP spokesman M.

Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here after releasing the final list of 27 candidates for the Assembly elections. This has brought the total to 62 with the candidate for one seat to be decided later.