Goutam Samantaray is BJP’s Jeypore Assembly Seat in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday evening announced Goutam Samantaray as its candidate for Jeypore assembly seat in Odisha’s Koraput district. Now, he stands pitted against Congress candidate Tara Prasad Bahinipati and ruling Biju Janata Dal(BJD Indira Nanda.

As per reports, Goutam had contested the election in the seat in 2019. Though he got third position, the vote share of the BJP had gone up as compared to 2014. He had polled over 33,000 votes in 2019.

After the BJD snapped ties with the BJP in 2009, it is seen that the vote share of the saffron party has been steadily rising in the seat. In view of this, the seat is expected to see a triangular contest this time.

Despite Goutam's debacle, the BJP has again banked on his candidature as it believes the rising popularity of Narendra Modi will help him win the seat.

“Goutam is a potential candidate. He had given a good fight in the 2019 polls. We are pretty confident that he would win victorious this time with thumping majority,” said BJP state general secretary Biranchi Tripathy.

Major political parties, including BJD, BJP and Congress, are yet to announce candidates for several assembly seats in the state.

As per reports, the ruling BJD is yet to announce its candidates for the 12 seats out of the total 147 assembly constituencies. Similarly, the BJP has not opened its cards for 15 assembly seats and the Congress has not named candidates for nine assembly seats in the state.

The ruling BJD is yet to name its candidates for the Raghunathpalli, Hindol, Khandapada, Begunia, Khordha, Bangiriposhi, Bhograi, Nilagiri, Bari, Korei, Balikuda-Ersama and Kakatpur assembly seats.

The BJP's undeclared assembly seats include Jeypore, Telkoi, Ghasipura, Champua, Hindol, Barabati-Cuttack, Begunia, Khordha, Basta, Nilagiri, Bhandaripokhari, Basudevpur, Bari, Salepur and Kendrapara.

The Congress is yet to name its candidates for the Chhatrapur, Palahara, Barabati-Cuttack, Jaleswar, Balasore Sadar, Nilagiri, Barchana, Jagatsinghpur and Kakatpur Assembly seats.

Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, the BJP and BJD have announced candidates for all the seats. However, the Congress is yet to announce its candidates for two Lok Sabha seats, Cuttack and Mayurbhanj.