Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also contest from Kantabanji assembly constituency in Bolangir district of Western Odisha along with his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam district.
This was announced by Patnaik himself Wednesday while releasing the 5th list of nine candidates for the Assembly elections in the state.
Patnaik in 2019 assembly elections had also contested from two seats. He won from both Hinjili and Bijepur assembly segment in Bargarh district of western Odisha. However, Patnaik later resigned from Bijepur and retained the Hinjili seat.
The nine BJD candidates announced by Patnaik included six women and four turncoats. The party has dropped four sitting MLAs – Purna Chandra Baka (Chitrakonda), Kishore Chandra Naik (Kuchinda), Rajnikant Singh (Angul) and Samir Ranjan Dash (Nimapara).
Patnaik has also rewarded four turncoats and nominated them to contest the assembly polls. They were: Arundhati Devi (Deogarh), Dillip Kumar Nayak (Nimapara), Rajendra Kumar Chhatria (Kuchinda) and Laxmipriya Nayak (Chitrakonda).
The six women candidates are Laxmipriya Nayak (Chitrakonda), Barsa Singh Bariha (Padampur), Arundhati Devi (Deogarh), Sanjukta Singh (Angul), Sulkhnsa Gitanajali Devi (Samakhemundi) and Dr Indira Nanda (Jeypore).
While denying party ticket to Angul MLA Rajanikant Singh, BJD nominated his wife Sanjukta Singh from the same seat. Former minister and ex-MLA Rabi Nanda was also denied party ticket. His wife Dr Indira Nanda got the BJD ticket for the Jeypore assembly segment in Koraput district.
Patnaik also nominated S Gitanajali Devi, daughter of former MLA Nandini Devi in Sanakhemundi assembly segment.
The BJD president also inter-changed the candidature of two leaders. Rairakhol MLA Rohit Pujari has been nominated from the Sambalpur assembly segment while Prasanna Acharya will contest from Rairakhol.
With this, the BJD has so far announced the names of 126 candidates out of the total 147 assembly segments in Odisha.
The list of BJD candidates is as follows:
Naveen Patnaik – Kantabanji
Barsha Singh Bariha – Padampur
Arundhati Kumari Devi – Deogarh
Rohit Pujari – Sambalpur
Prasanna Acharya – Rairakhol
Rajendra Kumar Chhatria – Kuchinda
Sanjukta Singh – Angul
Dilip Nayak – Nimapada
Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi – Sanakhemundi
Indira Nanda – Jeypore
Laxmipriya Nayak – Chitrakonda
It can be mentioned here that, the voting for the 147-member Assembly will be held in four phases — May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The results will be announced June 4.
PNN & Agencies