BJD denies tickets to seven sitting MLAs

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Bhubaneswar: In its fifth list of candidates, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Friday announced the names of candidates for 18 Assembly segments. The party has denied tickets to seven sitting MLAs.
BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the names of candidates at his residence here. The party has denied tickets to sitting MLAs Bhagirathi Badajena (Jatni), Jugal Kishore Pattnaik (Bhadrak), ‎Golak Bihari Naik (Udala), Mangal Singh Mudi (Jashipur), Bhadav Hansdah (Saraskana), Ganeswar Patra (Badasahi) and Ramesh Patua (Rengali).
On the other hand, the ruling party has fielded new faces for six seats. The party has nominated BJP leader Damodar Rout’s son Sambit for Paradip seat while Reena Tanty has been named for Rengali seat, Amar Singh Tudu for Saraskana, Brundabana Das for Badasahi, Golakh Bihari Nayak for Jashipur and Sanjeev Mallik for Bhadrak. The party re-nominated senior BJD leaders Bishnu Das and Dhruva Sahu, who lost the elections in 2014.
Among senior leaders, the BJD has re-nominated Maheswar Mohanty (Puri), Debasis Samantray (Barabati-Cuttack), Chandrasarathi Behera (Cuttack Sadar), Sudam Marndi (Bangiriposi) and Amar Prasad Satpathy (Barachana).
With this list, the party has so far announced its candidates for 119 MLA candidates and 18 Lok Sabha candidates for the state. The party is yet to name its nominees for Keonjhar, Cuttack and Dhenkanl LS seats and 28 Assembly segments.
According to sources, the ruling party had planned to deny tickets to many senior MLAs, who have lost popularity in their respective area. But analysing the last two lists of candidates, it is clear that the party has changed its mind and re-nominated many such candidates fearing revolt. All eyes are now on the BJD’s candidates for remaining seats.