SAMBALPUR: With the filing of nominations coming to an end on Thursday, polling offices in western Odisha saw last minute rush by the candidates to file their papers. Denial of party nomination saw surfacing of many rebels. The last day also saw the district BJD suffer a major setback. Phanindra Patnaik, district nominee of State Health and Family Welfare Minister and Rairakhol MLA Prasanna Acharya changed sides and joined Congress on Thursday. Patnaik was an aspirant for Zilla Parishad seat from Dhankauda Zone-I but differences between district BJD president Rohit Pujari and Acharya saw him being denied party nomination. Agitated over the issue, Patnaik joined the Congress along with his supporters later in the day. Besides, a sitting BJP Zilla Parishad member Jatindra Sahu also joined the Congress. While Rohit clarified that Patnaik was denied ticket for his anti-party activities and had a tie up with the Congress which was exposed, Patnaik alleged that Rohit was the reason behind the bad reputation of BJD in the district. He alleged that Rohit was minting money from industrial houses. Acharya could not be contacted.MAOISTS’ WARNING: In another development, Maoists reportedly left some ‘letters’ in Boden village under Paikmal block of Bargarh district asking the sitting Samiti member Panchanan Sahu, Sarpanch Murali Meher and one Dayanidhi Sahu not to contest the polls. They have threatened them with death warrant if they contested the polls.In Deogarh district, there were single candidates for the post of samiti member in Tinkbir, Baghbar, Palsama and Naulipada gram panchayats of Reamal block. They were declared elected unopposed.
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