Odisha: BJD releases list of nominees for 9 assembly seats

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday announced names of nine candidates for the assembly elections in the state. He, however, did not announce the name of Lok Sabha candidate for the Balasore seat.

The nine names which were released in the third phase list include Sudarshan Haripal (Rengali), Sarada Prasad Nayak (Rourkela), Rohit George Tirkey (Biramitrapur), Meena Majhi (Keonjhar), Raisin Murmu (Rairangpur), Swarup Das (Balasore), Prakash Behera (Barabati-Cuttack), Prasant Behera (Salipur), Naba Kishore Mallik (Jayadev).

With this, the BJD has fielded its candidates for 108 of 147 assembly seats. The party has so far announced nominees for 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats.

On April 2, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had announced the much-awaited list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Odisha. Of the total 147 Assembly constituencies, the saffron party announced the names of its candidates for 112 seats. The saffron party has already announced names of 21 Lok Sabha seats. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is contesting from Sambalpur. He is pitted against ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) stalwart Pranab Prakash Das.

Almost all the sitting MLAs made a cut into the BJP’s candidates’ list. There are 49 new faces in the list. Manmohan Samal, the BJP state president, will contest from Chandbali in Bhadrak district

The Congress, also on April 2, announced candidates for 49 out of 147 assembly seats and eight out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. The grand old party fielded father-son duo Bhakta Charan Das and his son Sagar Charan Das from two different Assembly seats in Kalahandi district. It also gave tickets to father and daughter duo – Bhujabal Majhi and Lipika Majhi – respectively for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat and Dabugaon assembly constituency.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapada Assembly seat in Nuapada district. Former Indian hockey player Prabodh Tirkey has been fielded by Congress from the Talsara Assembly seat. Former chief secretary Bijay Patnaik has been fielded from the Paralakhemundi Assembly seat. Congress has fielded Manoj Mishra, Odia film actor, from Balangir district.