By Our Correspondent
KENDRAPARA/BHUBANESWAR: BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced that former MLA Anshuman Mohanty , who is also son of late veteran leader Nalini Kant Mohanty , will be Party’s Lok Sabha candidate for Kendrapara Parliamentary seat , for which, BJP had already announced name of its National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda.
With BJP’s Baijayant Panda entering into the battle for the 4th times, BJD after many thoughts and deliberations, put Anshuman Mohanty in the fray. Amid poor performance by sitting MP Anubhav Mohanty, lack of major development during last 5 years, people in Kendrapara, are now started realising their past mistakes and preparing for a change.
Sensing the negative mode of Kendrapara people due to BJD’s poor show in last 5 years, Naveen Patnaik in the first phase, has cleared names of Party candidates for Kendrapara Lok Sabha and Assembly seats under it to ensure a tough fight.
BJD also announced its MLA candidate for Aul, Rajnagar, Patkura and Mahakalpada Assembly seats while its kept hanging the candidate for Kendrapara Assembly seat.
BJD named Arvind Mohapatra, who is son of BJP leader, Bijay Mohapatra, for Patkura , Minister Pratap Deb for Aul , Minister Atanu Nayak for Mahakalpada, MLA Dhurba Sahu for Rajnagar. Sitting Patkura MLA Sabitri Agarwal dropped.
Biju Janata Dal announced candidates for 72 Assembly of the total 147 and 15 Lok Sabha seats of the total 21 Parliamentary Constituencies. The BJD has not yet announced its candidates for Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Berhampur, and Bolangir Lok Sabha seats.
BJD Organizational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das as party candidate for Sambalpur LS seat against BJP nominee Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Manmath Routray, son of Congress veteran Suresh Routray, for the Bhubaneswar MP seat. BJP has re-nominated Aparajita Sarangi from the MP segment.
The ruling party has fielded Lambodhar Nial for Kalahandi MP seat while ex-MLA Anshuman Mohanty to contest from Kendrapara, ex-MP Paradip Majhi from Nabarangpur, Hockey veteran Dilip Tirkey from Sundargarh, Minister Sudam Marandi from Mayurbhanj, Ranjita Sahu from Aska and Kaushalya Hikaka from Koraput, retired IPS officer Arup Patnaik will contest fromPuri LS segment against BJP nominee Sambit Patra.
The party has nominated Santrupt Mishra from Cuttack MP segment. Though BJP has not announced itscandidate for Cuttack MP segment, it was speculated that Bhatruhari Mahtab maybe the candidate, if he joins the BJP.
Abinash Samal has been nominated to fight for Dhenkanal MP seat while three sitting MPs have been renominated from their respective seats. They are Rajashree Mallick in Jagatsinghpur, Achutananda Samanta in Kandhamal and Sarmistha Sethi Jajpur.
