By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: The Naveen Patnaik led BJD is yet to announce its balance 12 MLA candidates in Odisha. The BJD so far announced 135 MLA candidates while the Regional party is expected to announce its rest 12 candidate as the first phase of polling slated for May 13 in the State.
The Naveen Patnaik led BJD on Saturday announced its 6th list for Odisha assembly polls , in which Party named 9 MLA candidates taking the tally to 135 of the total 147 seats in Odisha Assembly.
As per the announcement, Chilka: Raghunath Sahu, Anandpur: Abhimanyu Sethi , Saraskana: Debashis Marndi , Karanjia: Basanti Hembram , Remuna: Bidyasmita Mahalik , Simulia: Subhashini Sahu, Barchana: Barsha Priyadarshini , Kendrapada: Ganeswar Behera , Champua: Sanatan Mahakud.
BJD has already named all its 21 MP candidates, in which it only allowed 4 sitting MPs Achyuta Samanta in Kandhamal, Rajashree Mallick in Jagatsinghpur, Sarmistha Sethi in Japur and Manjulata Mandal in Bhadrak, to contest in this Lok Sabha polls while the party put 7 women candidates and given tickets to 8 turncoats, who had left BJP and Congress and joined BJD later. .
BJP which has already named all its 21MP candidates and of the 147 MLA candidates, the Saffron Party till date announced 131 MLA candidates and is yet to announce its balance 16 MLA candidates.
Congress so far named all its MP candidates in 21 Lok Sabha seats and announced 125 MLA candidates and is yet to decide on candidates for balance 22 Assembly seats in Odisha.
Odisha , which is facing twin polls, will start voting on May 13, then on May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting will be on June 4.
BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will take a final call on left out seats while BJP and Congress Party’s Central Election Committee will decide on it, sources said. All the three parties are expected to announce their candidates for rest seats within next few days
