Bhubaneswar: People of Pipili Assembly constituency were left in awe after the BJD candidate Rudra Maharathy’s wife Jagruti Panda filed her nomination against her husband from the same seat as an Independent candidate.
In the nomination paper, Jagruti has provided all personal details and list of properties.
Rudra, son of late MLA from Pipili and former minister Pradeep Maharathy filed his nominations on May 3. He had won from the seat in a by-election in April 2021 following the demise of his father.
Jagruti is tight-lipped about her candidature while Rudra took the move in a lighter vein saying that he is not worried about his wife’s decision. Many couples were seen contesting the elections in Odisha at several places but in Pipili, the husband and wife have locked horns in the same constituency.
The exact reason behind Jagruti’s move remains unclear. Experts opine that she would act as a backup if the nomination of her husband is rejected during scrutiny. However, the picture will be clear after the date of withdrawal.
