NABARANGPUR: With filing of nominations for Umerkote bypoll scheduled for Saturday, aspirants have started lobbying for tickets. Political parties, on their part, have begun calculating their support base in the segment. In the wake of the bypoll, the Congress - which has remained in the third position since the 2004 Assembly election - had conducted a meeting at Raighar on October 31 in the presence of AICC office-bearers Jagdish Tytler, Mirza Irshad Baig and MP Pradeep Majhi to discuss measures to strengthen the party base. However, internal bickerings in the party came to the fore at the meeting with former legislator Parama Pujari boycotting the event. The BJD which wrested the seat from BJP in 2009 election, had also conducted a party meeting at Umerkote, presided over by district president Jayadev Parida. In the meeting that was attended by workers from Raighar and Umerkote blocks, complaints were made against IT Minister Ramesh Majhi for neglecting party workers. It was decided that an executive committee meeting will be organised on Friday at Papadahandi to discuss strategies for the bypoll. Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro, Law Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Tribal Affairs Minister Lal Bihari Himirika and Ramesh Majhi are scheduled to participate. Like the Congress, the BJD too has been a divided house since long over various scams and embezzlements rocking the State Government. The BJP, on the other hand, seems unperturbed as far as the selection of its candidate is concerned. It is most likely that district party president Dharmu Gond will get the ticket.
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