TNI Bureau: Former Berhampur Mayor Siva Shankar Dash alias Pintu, is likely to enter the electoral arena as an Independent candidate from Berhampur Assembly segment.

After the snub from BJP and then BJD, Pintu Dash’s followers held a meeting in Berhampur today, urging him not to give up and contest as an Independent. Several intellectuals, auto association members as well as workers from BJD, BJP and RSS and Bajrang Dal activists attended the meeting.

Although Pintu is yet to take a final call on his political course of action, pressure mounts on him to contest the assembly polls BJP and BJD fielded K Anil Kumar and Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik respectively.

In 2019 polls, Pintu contested the polls as an Independent from jail. His wife led the campaign. Despite absence during the campaigning, he secured 9821 votes (8.26% vote share) and finished third ahead of the Congress candidate.