Report by OrissaDiary.com correspondent; Bhubaneswar: BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik gives party ticket to Ranendra Pratap Swain to contest Athgarh assembly bye-poll. This was announced by CM Naveen Patnaik today here.

Ranendra Pratap Swain he is ready to fought this election with the support of party. He said he will work on the success of party. By-election to the Athgarh Assembly constituency to be held in March 18. This was announced by Election Commission. Election Commission will issue notification on this on February 22 notification. Nominations process will start from February 29. Nominations withdrawal date will be March 1. Nominations paper will be scrutinized March 3. Counting of vote will be held in March 21.

Election to the constituency has been necessitated after the high court unseated Ramesh Rout who had won the 2009 Assembly poll.  On December 9, the Supreme Court had dismissed Athgarh MLA Ramesh Rout's appeal against the high court decision to hold fresh elections. The high court had on June 23, 2010, declared Rout's election as "null and void".