Bhubaneswar: BJD President & Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the conch party’s candidates for 72 Assembly and 15 Lok Sabha seats in one day. Now, all eyes are on BJD’s next list of candidates for the remaining 6 Lok Sabha and 75 Assembly seats.
So far, neither the BJP nor the Congress has announced candidates for the assembly elections in Odisha. The BJP has only announced candidates for 18 Lok Sabha seats. It is not yet clear who will be the saffron party’s candidates for the remaining 3 LS seats and all the 147 assembly seats.
In the meanwhile, Congress is lagging in its election strategy as they are yet to finalize and announce their Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates. Despite the delay in the voting schedule for Odisha, all eyes are on the candidates in terms of political exercise.
As the polls are approaching, joinings and desertions have become frequent between both BJD and BJD. Every day some leaders quit and join the opposite party. But, Congress is far behind in this exercise.
Since there are many aspirants in each constituency, BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik has yet to make the announcement.
The BJD is yet to announce its candidates for Bolangir, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Berhampur, Bhadrak and Balasore Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, BJP candidates won in Bolangir, Bargarh and Balasore seats, while BJD candidates won in other 3 seats.
BJP has already announced its candidates for all 18 Lok Sabha seats and now BJD’s list is awaited. BJD’s Bolangir MP candidate of 2019, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has been fielded from the Bolangir Assembly seat this time. So the party will field new candidates from the Lok Sabah seat.
Former Titilagarh MLA Surendra Singh Bhoi joined the BJD on Friday and there are speculations that the party may field him from the Bolangir LS seat.
Senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya lost from Bargarh LS seat in 2019. A few days ago he had an accident and is under treatment now.
In 2019, BJD fielded Chandrani Murmu in the Keonjhar LS seat and won. This time it is not yet decided whether the party will field Murmu again or not. Besides, BJP has feilded former MP Ananta Nayak from Keonjhar LS seat.
BJD had nominated Chandrashekhar Sahu for the Berhampur LS seat and won but this time it is not clear who will be selected. Besides, the BJP has nominated MLA Pradeep Panigrah, who was dismissed from the BJD.
While BJP has again fielded senior leader & MP Pratap Sarangi from Balasore LS seat, BJD is yet to decide. BJD had fielded Rabindra Jena, who had won the 2014 election but lost in the 2019 election.
While BJD’s Manjulata Mandal is the MP for the Bhadrak constituency, the party has not decided who to field this time. Manjulata’s husband Muktikanta Mandal was earlier MLA from Dhamnagar seat. Last time he was denied a ticket and his wife was given the Lok Sabha ticket. BJD has already announced its candidate for Dhamnagar assembly seat. In the Bhadrak LS seat, BJP has repeated the last time candidate Abhimanyu Sethi.
Apart from these 6 Lok Sabha seats, BJD is yet to finalise candidates for 75 assembly seats. The selection of candidates for these seats has been delayed as many BJP leaders are likely to join the BJD. Party sources said that the next list of candidates for the remaining LS and Assembly seats will be announced soon.
The BJD is yet to announce its candidates for the assembly constituencies of Padmapur, Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda, Talsara, Sundargarh, Biramitrapur, Raghunathpalli, Rourkela, Rajgangpur, Bonai, Kuchinda, Rengali, Sambalpur, Rairakhol, Deogarh, Telkoi, Anandapur, Keonjhar, Champua, Jashipur, Saraskana, Rairangpur, Bangiriposi, Karanjia, Udala, Badasahi, Baripada, Morada, Bhogarai, Balasore, Remuna, Nilagiri, Soro, Simulia, Bari, Badachana, Korei, Hindola, Talcher, Angul, Athmallik, Biramaharajpur, Kantabanji, Khariar, Narla, Baliguda, Phulbani, Barabati-Cuttack, Salepur, Mahanga, Kendrapara, Paradip, Tirtol, Balikuda-Erasama, Jagatsinghpur, Kakatpur, Nimapada, Jaydev, Bhubaneswar-Central, Bhubaneswar-North, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar, Begunia, Khurda, Chilika, Khandapada, Aska, Sanakhemundi, Berhampur, Mohana, Paralakhemundi, Laxmipur, Jeypore, Pottangi and Chitrakonda.
Also Read: BJD Announces 1st List of Candidates for 72 Assembly, 9 Lok Sabha Seats
