Bhubaneswar: The Congress would field Pranay Kumar Sahu, vice-chairman of the Gaisilot block, in the bypoll to the Bijepur Assembly seat.

An announcement to this effect will be made only after the election date is notified, party sources said.

The by-election has been necessitated due to the death of Congress leader Subal Sahu last month.

The BJD has announced that the widow of the late MLA, Rita Sahu, will be the party's candidate to contest for the seat.

The Election Commission is yet to announce the poll date.

Congress sources said an overwhelming majority of party cadres at the block and district levels had supported the candidature of Sahu, who had remained firm with the Congress after Rita Sahu and few other local leaders had decided to switch over to the BJD. A committee of the Congress party, headed by MLA Naba Kishore Das, had visited the constituency and shortlisted Sahu and Ripunath Seth, a former MLA, for the party nomination. Sahu is an active local Congress leader and has considerable influence across the Assembly constituency.

On Wednesday, senior Congress leaders met to chalk out an effective strategy to win the election.

Congress leader Srikant Jena said: "With more than four decades of political experience, I can say the Congress will win the election. Had Rita Sahu not left the Congress and become the BJD candidate, the sympathy factor could have worked for her. Now there is a public perception that she has been lured away by the BJD."

The BJP is said to have favoured the candidature of Ashok Panigrahi, a dissident BJD leader, who had joined the BJP last month.

However, his candidature has met with stiff resistance from the party rank and file in the constituency.