Bhubaneswar: Putting speculations to rest, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha and 54 Assembly seats here, Monday. Naveen also revealed that he will contest from two Assembly seats– Hinjli and Bijepur.
The CM announced candidates for 9 LS and 54 Assembly constituencies that will go to polls in Phase-I (April 11) and Phase-II (April 18).
Ramesh Chandra Majhi was nominated for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat, Kousalya Hikaka for Koraput, Achyuta Samanta for Kandhamal, Chandra Shekhar Sahu for Berhampur, Puspendra Singh Deo for Kalahandi, Prasanna Acharya for Bargarh), Sunita Biswal for Sundargarh), Pramila Bisoi for Aska and Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo for Bolangir.
The party nominated new faces in eight out of nine Lok Sabha seats. Only Bolangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo was retained. The BJD has nominated Koraput MLA Jhina Hikaka’s wife for the seat while two sitting MLAs– Ramesh Majhi and Puspendra Singh Deo were projected as MP candidates for Nabarangpur and Kalahandi respectively.
Besides, two Rajya Sabha members Prasanna Acharya and Achyuta Samanta will contest LS polls from Bargarh and Kandhamal seats, respectively. The party which had committed to give at least 7 women candidates for the LS poll announced three female candidates in its first list.
Similarly, the party introduced 14 new faces for the assembly polls. The new faces included Bhupinder Singh (Narla), Dushmant Naik (Bhawanipatna), Mausudi Bag (Dharmagarh), Kalyani Gajapathi (Paralakhemundi) and Manjula Swain (Aska).
The party re-nominated MLAs including six ministers. They were Surya Narayan Patro (Digapahandi), Usha Devi (Chikiti), Bikram Keshari Arukh (Bhanjanagar), Niranjan Pujari (Sonepur), Snehangiri Chhuria (Atabira) and Sustanta Singh (Bhatli),
Though 63 Assembly segments will go to poll in the first two phases, the party has announced names for 54 seats only. The seats left open now are Pottangi (Koraput), Biramitrapur (Sundargarh), Bolangir and Loisingha (Bolangir), Lanjigarh (Kalahandi), Jharigaon and Malkangiri (Nabarangpur), Phulbani (Kandhamal) and Brajarajnagar (Bargarh).
Patnaik said he will contest from two constituencies for the first time. He has been representing Hinjili constituency over last four terms, defeating Congress since 2000. Hinjili Assembly seat falls under the Aska Lok Sabha constituency which used to be the stronghold of his father Biju Patnaik.
This is the first time that he will try his luck from Bijepur Assembly constituency which falls in western Odisha where BJP is stated to be gaining strength. Bijepur Assembly seat falls under Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency.
After the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu from Bijepur seat, BJD gave the ticket to his wife, Rita Sahu, who won from the constituency in a byepoll. Sitting MLA Sahu will not be contesting, leaving it for the BJD chief instead.
According to local political analysts, traditionally western Odisha did not belong to erstwhile Janata Dal and BJD. To promote the brand image of Naveen in the region and to strengthen the organisation, the party has taken this move. This will definitely put impact on five Lok Sabha seats and 37 Assembly constituencies in the region, they said.
Reacting on Naveen’s move to contest form two seats, state BJP youth wing president Tankadhar Tripathy alleged that the BJD president has decided to contest from western Odisha because he is going to be defeated in his own constituency-Hinjili.
Showing a letter of police intelligence branch, Tripathy claimed that the intelligence had recommended that CM should not contest from Hinjili due to public anger over lapses in KALIA scheme, post-cyclone relief works. The party also said the CM will not succeed in Bijepur seat.
“A fake document purported to be an assessment report of some assembly segments by Odisha Police Intelligence Department has been shown in a press meet by a political party. The document is absolutely fake and fabricated. An FIR is being registered in this matter,” tweeted DGP RP Sharma.
The nine Lok Sabha candidates include Chandra Sekhar Sahu (Berhampur), Kousalya Hikaka (Koraput), Achyuta Samanta (Kandhamal), Puspendra Singh Deo (Kalahandi) , Ramesh Majhi (Nabarangpur), Prasanna Acharya (Bargarh) Sunita Biswal (Sundergarh) Pramila Bisoi (Aska) and Kalikesh Singh Deo (Bolangir).
The candidates for the Assembly polls are: –
- Naveen Patnaik (Hinjli, Bijepur)
- Jagannath Sadak (Bissam Cuttack)
- Lal Bihari Himirika (Rayagada)
- Rabi Narayan Nanda (Jeypore)
- Snehangini Chhuria (Attabira)
- Bikram Panda (Berhampur)
- Raghunath Gomango (Gunupur)
- Usha Devi (Chikiti)
- Pradeep Panigrahi (Gopalpur)
- Surya Narayan Patro (Digapahandi)
- Prabhu Jani (Lakshmipur)
- Subash Chadra Behera (Chhatrapur)
- Sushant Singh (Bhatli)
- Raghuram (Koraput)
- Sadasiv Pradhan (Nawarangpur)
- Subash Gond (Umerkote)
- Manohar Ranchari (Dabugaon)
- Padmini (Kotpad)
- Purna Chandra (Chitrakonda)
- Dushmanta Naik (Bhawanipatna)
- Bhupinder Singh (Narla)
- Dibya Sankar Mishra (Junagarh)
- Mausudi Bag (Dharmgarh)
- Nuapada (Rajendra Dholakia)
- Lambodar Nial (Khariar)
- Kalyani Gajapathi (Parlakhemundi)
- Purnabasi Nayak (Mohana)
- Manjula Swain (Aska)
- Purna Chandra Swain (Surada)
- Nandini Devi (Sanakhemundi)
- Srikanta Sahu (Polasara)
- Latika Pradhan (Kabisuryanagar)
- KK Suryamani Baidya (Khallikote)
- Chakradhar Kanhar (Baliguda)
- Saluga Pradhan (G. Udayagiri)
- Pradip Kumar Amat (Boudh)
- Mahidhdar Rana (Kantamal)
- Bikram Keshari ARukha (Bhanjanagar)
- Ramesh Behera (Daspalla)
- Tukuni Sahu (Titlagarh)
- Saroj Meher (Patnagarh)
- Niranjan Pujari (Sonepur)
- Ajay Das (Kantabanji)
- Padmanabha Behera (Biramaharajpur)
- Debesh Acharya (Bargarh)
- Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha (Padampur)
- Naba Kishore Das (Jharsuguda)
- Jogesh Kumar Singh (Sundargarh)
- Mangala Kishan (Rajgangpur)
- Stephen Soren (Talsara)
- Sarada Prasad Nayak (Rourkela)
- Subrat Tarai (Raghunathpali)
- Ranjit Kishan (Bonai)
Worth mentioning, simultaneous polls will be held in Odisha for 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly Constituencies in four phases April 11, 18, 23 and 29.
The candidates can file their nominations from today. The last date for filing nominations is March 25. The verification process of nomination papers will take place March 26. The last date for nomination withdrawal will be March 28.
Scroll down to find the list of candidates:
PNN