GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 3rd April. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidate list for 112 out of the 147 assembly constituencies in Odisha, retaining 17 of its 22 sitting MLAs while introducing new faces and strategically fielding candidates for the upcoming state elections.
The party dropped incumbent MLA Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra from the Brahmagiri constituency in Puri district, nominating his niece Upasana to contest from the seat.
Notably, the BJP also named Rairangpur MLA Naba Charan Majhi as a candidate for the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat.
Emphasizing gender inclusivity, the party nominated eight women candidates, including Sundergarh MLA Kusum Tete.
Several prominent figures have been given tickets, including former Income Tax Commissioner Sambit Tripathy in Badamba and actor-turned-politician Akash Das Nayak in Korei. Abhinandan, son of Kalahandi MP Basant Kumar Panda, will contest from Nuapada.
BJP State President Manmohan Samal is set to contest from Chandbali in Bhadrak district, while sitting MP Suresh Pujari will vie for the Brajarajnagar assembly seat.
In a significant electoral battle, BJP has fielded Sisir Mishra against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from the Hinjili Assembly constituency.
The party has also strategically positioned former BJD MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh to contest against former minister and sitting MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo in the Nayagarh assembly seat.
Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Jaynarayan Mishra will run from his traditional Sambalpur assembly seat, while former minister and ex-BJP state president KV Singhdeo will contest from Patnagarh assembly seat. His wife, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, is the BJP candidate for the Bolangir Lok Sabha seat.
BJP has capitalized on defections from other parties, with five turncoats from BJD securing tickets. Arabinda Dhali, Akash Das Nayak, Siddhant Mohapatra, Purna Chandra Sethi, and Priyadarshi Mishra will contest under the BJP banner.
Senior BJP leader Mohan Majhi ridiculed the ruling BJD’s recent claim of the BJP’s purported inability to find candidates for all 147 assembly seats, citing the party’s robust candidate lineup. With the announcement of 112 candidates, the BJP demonstrates its determination to contest vigorously across Odisha, setting the stage for a fiercely contested electoral battle.
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