Newly elected BJD MLA Barsha Singh Bariha takes oath in Odisha Assembly

Barsha Singh Bariha, who was elected in the recent by-poll to Padampur, on Monday took oath as a legislator of the Odisha Assembly.

Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha administered the oath of office to Bariha at his official chamber in the state Assembly here.

The legislator was accompanied by two women ministers Tukuni Sahu and Pramila Mallick besides BJD MLA from Atabira and president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal, Snehangini Chhuria.

Bariha had contested the Padampur by-election on the ruling Biju Janata Dal ticket and won the seat with a margin of over 42,000 votes defeating her nearest BJP rival Pradeep Purohit. Satya Bhusan Sahu of the Congress finished a distant third with 3,594 (1.73 per cent) votes.

Bariha polled 1,20,807 (58 per cent) votes, while BJP candidate Pradeep Purohit got 78,128 (37.51 per cent) votes.

Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, the father of Barsha Singh Bariha, whose death in October necessitated the by-poll, had won from the Padampur assembly seat in Bargarh district for five times.