 "BJD issues fourth list for 41 assembly, 7 LS seats")
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today released its much-awaited candidates list for seven Lok Sabha and 41 assembly constituencies in central and coastal Odisha, where it has retained most of the names given tickets in the previous poll.
Nine sitting MLAs and one MP, however, do not figure in this candidates list, which includes names of some newcomers from other parties as well as from within the party.
The nominees for Lok Sabha seats include Bhartuhari Mahtab (Cuttack) , Ramchandra Hansda (Mayurbhanj), Rabindra Jena (Balasore), Pinaki Mishra ( Puri), Baijayant Panda (Kendrapada), Tathagat Satpathy (Dhenkanal), Arjun Sethy (Bhadrak). Among them, Jena and Hansda are new comers.
Maheswar Mohanty, who was recently shot by miscreants, has been renominated to fight from Puri while Pradeep Maharathy, the former chief whip of the BJD government, will contest from violence prone Pipili constituency.
Other prominent names included Sudam Marandi (Bangiriposhi), Braja Kishor Pradhan (Talcher), Prabhat Biswal (Cuttack-Choudwar) and Arun Sahoo (Nayagarh). Similarly, Pranab Balbantray has replaced his father Kalpataru Das, who was recently elected to Rajya Sabha, in Dharmsala seat. The ticket for Cuttack Sadar has been given to Chandra Sarathi Behera, son of Kalandi Behera.
Other leaders who were denied ticket for assembly seats are Anjali Behera (Hindol), Srinath Soren (Udala), Kamalakanta Nayak (Jashipur), Manoranjan Sethi (Badasahi), Bijay Nayak (Chandbali), Sidharth Sekhar Singh (Khandapada), Satyanarayan Pradhan (Ranpur) and Bhagaban Kanhar (Kantamal). Besides, the sitting MP from Mayurbhanj, Laxman Tudu has also been excluded from the list.
In a surprising move, the party today decided to field veteran leader and recently-elected Rajya Sabha member Anang Udaya Singhdeo from Bolangir assembly seat.
“Senior leader A U Singhdeo, the vice president of the BJD, will contest from Bolangir assembly constituency. He is resigning from the Rajya Sabha,” said BJD president Naveen Patnaik at his residence while announcing the list of candidates.
Though the party did not clarify the motive behind sudden change, sources said, the party planned to field Deo from Bolangir after infighting grew over nomination of Harekrushna Sarangi, a close confidant of Deo for the seat.
Another Rajya Sabha member Rabi Mohapatra has also been chosen to contest from Ranpur assembly constituency. He was elected as Rajya Sabha member in 2012.
Nine sitting MLAs and one MP, however, do not figure in this candidates list, which includes names of some newcomers from other parties as well as from within the party.
The nominees for Lok Sabha seats include Bhartuhari Mahtab (Cuttack) , Ramchandra Hansda (Mayurbhanj), Rabindra Jena (Balasore), Pinaki Mishra ( Puri), Baijayant Panda (Kendrapada), Tathagat Satpathy (Dhenkanal), Arjun Sethy (Bhadrak). Among them, Jena and Hansda are new comers.
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The assembly candidates were mainly for seats in Puri, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts, where voting will be conducted on April 17.
Maheswar Mohanty, who was recently shot by miscreants, has been renominated to fight from Puri while Pradeep Maharathy, the former chief whip of the BJD government, will contest from violence prone Pipili constituency.
Other prominent names included Sudam Marandi (Bangiriposhi), Braja Kishor Pradhan (Talcher), Prabhat Biswal (Cuttack-Choudwar) and Arun Sahoo (Nayagarh). Similarly, Pranab Balbantray has replaced his father Kalpataru Das, who was recently elected to Rajya Sabha, in Dharmsala seat. The ticket for Cuttack Sadar has been given to Chandra Sarathi Behera, son of Kalandi Behera.
Other leaders who were denied ticket for assembly seats are Anjali Behera (Hindol), Srinath Soren (Udala), Kamalakanta Nayak (Jashipur), Manoranjan Sethi (Badasahi), Bijay Nayak (Chandbali), Sidharth Sekhar Singh (Khandapada), Satyanarayan Pradhan (Ranpur) and Bhagaban Kanhar (Kantamal). Besides, the sitting MP from Mayurbhanj, Laxman Tudu has also been excluded from the list.
In a surprising move, the party today decided to field veteran leader and recently-elected Rajya Sabha member Anang Udaya Singhdeo from Bolangir assembly seat.
“Senior leader A U Singhdeo, the vice president of the BJD, will contest from Bolangir assembly constituency. He is resigning from the Rajya Sabha,” said BJD president Naveen Patnaik at his residence while announcing the list of candidates.
Though the party did not clarify the motive behind sudden change, sources said, the party planned to field Deo from Bolangir after infighting grew over nomination of Harekrushna Sarangi, a close confidant of Deo for the seat.
Another Rajya Sabha member Rabi Mohapatra has also been chosen to contest from Ranpur assembly constituency. He was elected as Rajya Sabha member in 2012.