Odisha Assembly polls: CM Naveen Patnaik to contest two seats
In the 2019 assembly elections, Patnaik contested from two seats as well. He emerged victorious in both the Hinjili and Bijepur assembly segments.
BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will vie for a seat in the Kantabanji assembly constituency, located in Bolangir district of Western Odisha, in addition to his customary Hinjili seat in Ganjam district.
This was announced by Patnaik himself on Wednesday (April 17) 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.
(With agency inputs)