Kharabela Swain to contest Balasore LS seat as independent candidate

Balasore: In the recent political development in Odisha, BJP leader & former MP Kharabela Swain has announced his candidature for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Balasore seat as an independent candidate.

This announcement came a day after the BJP re-nominated its incumbent MP, Pratap Sarangi, as their candidate for the same seat.

Swain stated that he would campaign in the name of PM Narendra Modi and let the people decide who the real BJP is. However, he also made it clear that he wouldn’t quit the BJP, but the party could take action against him, and he would join the BJP after winning the elections.

Swain, a three-time MP, alleged that a “group of conspirators” within the BJP were responsible for the denial of a ticket to him. The BJP had recently announced candidates for 18 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, dropping four sitting MPs, including Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari, Mayurbhanj MP Bisheswar Tudu, and Kalahandi MP Basant Kumar Panda.

Swain has welcomed the decision of the party and said he would continue to be a party worker.