Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday declared the first list of party candidates for the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections.
The BJD president announced the names of nine candidates out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.
Patnaik himself will contest from the Hinjili Assembly segment in Ganjam district.
BJD general secretary (Organisation) Pranab Prakash Das will contest from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Union Minister and BJP candidate Dharmendra Pradhan.
Odisha Minister Sudam Marndi will contest from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat while former Indian Hockey skipper Dilip Tirky will face former Union Minister and sitting MP Jual Oram in the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat.
The other candidates for Lok Sabha seats were: Lambodar Nial (Kalahandi), Ansuman Mohanty (Kendrapara), Prajip Kumar Majhi (Nabarangpur) and Manmath Routray, who joined BJD from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat.
Other Lok Sabha candidates were: Kausalya Hikaka (Koraput), Ranjita Sahu (Aska).
The BJD also announced the names of 72 candidates for the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.
Prominent leaders re-nominated to contest the assembly elections were: Susanth Singh (Bhatli), Prafulla Samal (Bhadrak), Dibya Shankar Mishra (Junagarh), Debi Prasad Mishra (Baramba), Arun Kumar Sahoo (Nayagarh), Srikant Sahu (Polsara) and Badrinarayan Patra (Ghasipura).
Patnaik’s arch political rival Bijay Mohapatra’s son who joined the BJD recently, was nominated by the party to contest from Patkura assembly segment in Kendrapara district. Similarly, late speaker SN Patro’s son Biplab Patro has been nominated to contest from Dighapandi assembly segment.
Uma Samantray has been shifted to Brahmagri assembly seat while former minister Sanjay Dasburma will contest from Satyabadi segment.
The other candidates for the Assembly polls were Raghunath Gamango from Gunupur, Anusaya Majhi from Rayagada, Debesh Acharya (Bargarh), Snehangini Churia (Atabira), Subhasini Jena (Basata), Sanjeeb Mallik (Bhandaripokhari), Debi Tripathy (Banki), Sauvik Biswal (Cuttack Choudhwar), Chandra Sarathi Behera (Cuttack Sadar), Suni Mohanty (Puri).
Here is the complete list of 72 Assembly candidates announced by BJD.
