By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: The BJP may likely put MP Anubhav Mohanty as its MLA candidate for Cuttack Barabati Assembly seat against BJD’s Prakash Behera and Congress’s possible candidate Sofia Firdous, daughter of MLA Md Moquim.
As many as 4 leading Odia film actors including Sidhant Mohapatra, Anubhav Mohanty, Arindam Roy and Akash Das Nayak had joined BJP after quitting the Naveen Patnaik led BJD and 3 of them including Mohapatra, Roy and Das Nayak already named as Party’s MLA candidates while only MP Anubhav Mohanty left.
Since BJP has already named all its 21 MP candidates including for Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat, where currently, Mohanty is representing, the Saffron Party is most likely to give a chance to Anubhav Mohanty to fight for Cuttack-Barabati MLA seat, sources said.
Since 3 film Actors of the 4 joined including former MP Sidhant Mohapatra fielded for Digapahandi Assembly seat in Ganjam against BJD’s Biplab Patra, son of late former Speaker Surya Narayan Patra while another leading actor , Aridam Roy named as Party’s MLA candidate for Salepur Assembly seat against BJD’s Prasant Behera followed by actor and former MLA Akash Das Nayak fighting for Korei Assembly seat in Jajpur, BJP may likely to field MP Anubhav Mohanty, who is also leading Actor , in Cuttack-Barabati Assembly seat to check both BJD and Congress. BJP’s MP candidate for Cuttack Lok Sabha seat Bhartuhari Mahatab may also favour Mohanty for Cuttack-Barabati seat, sources added.
For Khurda’s Begunia, BJP is eying on BJD dissident Shreemayee Mishra, who denied both MP and MLA tickets while the Saffron Party is also eyeing on Media baron and Khandpada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik for Ghasipur Assembly seat in Keonjhar. If Srimayee Mishra joined BJP, the Saffron Party may field her for Begunia seat.
Interestingly, BJD is yet to announce its MLA candidate for Khandapada Assembly seat, raising speculation about Soumya Patnaik’s return to BJD and possible candidature. BJD announced 3 more MLA candidates for Basta , Khurda and Begunia while it kept silent on Khandapada Assembly seat , held by Soumya Patnaik as on MLA seats like Korei in Jajpur and Nilagiri in Balasore.
BJP on Saturday announced 8 more MLA candidates, while it kept silent on MLA seats like Cuttack-Barabati, Ghasipura in Keonjhar , Begunia in Khurda.
