 "BJD completes candidates' list for first phase poll")
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today released its third candidates’ list, comprising names for 21 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats, after much deliberation and discussion with party leaders and advisors over the weekend Holi holidays.
The third list ends the process for finalisation of candidates for 69 assembly seats and 10 Lok Sabha seats, which are scheduled to go to polls on April 10. The party, however, yet to name candidate for one more assembly seat, Kantamal in Kandhamal district, for this phase, for which the last date of filing of nominations is March 22.
For Koraput parliamentary constituency, the party named Laxmipur MLA, Jhina Hikaka, who was abducted by Maoists in 2012, in place of sitting MP Jayaram Pangi. Current MP from Kandhamal, Rudra Madhav Ray has also been replaced this time with the party nominating Hemendra Singh, who recently migrated from Congress to BJD, as its candidate for the seat.
However, Hema has been chosen to fight from Laxmipur assembly constituency, which is currently represented by Hikaka.
Of the 10 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the first phase, the ruling BJD has nominated new persons at eight places and only retained Siddhant Mohapatra (Berhampur) and Kalikesh Narayan Singh (Bolangir).
The party’s list of candidates for 21 assembly seats includes 15 new faces, including relatives of current MLAs. The leaders who have been renamed include Rabi Narayan Nanda (Jeypore), Sanjeeb Sahoo (Athamallik), Sanjeev Pratap Deo (Biramitrapur), Prakruti Singh Deo (Patnagarh) and K Narayan Rao (Parlakhmundi).
The candidates' list was also declared for remaining seats of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Sambalpur, Angul and Sundergarh districts.
BJD gave ticket to Ashok Pangi, son of Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi, to contest from Kotpad assembly seat even as many tribal leaders protested his candidature. The party today changed its nominee for Kabisuryanagar assembly segment.
“I am happy to inform you that Smt V Sugnani Kumari Deo, the senior leader of our party, will contest from from Kabisuryanagar assembly constituency,” BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while announcing the candidates’ list today.
The party had earlier named Latika Pradhan to fight from the seat citing that Deo was unwilling to contest the polls due to health reasons. However, when several hundred workers staged protest objecting to denial of party ticket to Deo, a nine-time MLA from the area, Patnaik was forced to change the candidate.
The third list ends the process for finalisation of candidates for 69 assembly seats and 10 Lok Sabha seats, which are scheduled to go to polls on April 10. The party, however, yet to name candidate for one more assembly seat, Kantamal in Kandhamal district, for this phase, for which the last date of filing of nominations is March 22.
For Koraput parliamentary constituency, the party named Laxmipur MLA, Jhina Hikaka, who was abducted by Maoists in 2012, in place of sitting MP Jayaram Pangi. Current MP from Kandhamal, Rudra Madhav Ray has also been replaced this time with the party nominating Hemendra Singh, who recently migrated from Congress to BJD, as its candidate for the seat.
Also Read
By naming Hikaka for Koraput Lok Sabha seat, the BJD eventually avoided the much touted husband-wife contest, which was on the cards because of almost certain nomination of former chief minister Giridhari Gomango as the Congress candidate from this constituency and his wife Hema Gomango, who recently joined BJD from Congress, being tipped to contest the election against him.
However, Hema has been chosen to fight from Laxmipur assembly constituency, which is currently represented by Hikaka.
Of the 10 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the first phase, the ruling BJD has nominated new persons at eight places and only retained Siddhant Mohapatra (Berhampur) and Kalikesh Narayan Singh (Bolangir).
The party’s list of candidates for 21 assembly seats includes 15 new faces, including relatives of current MLAs. The leaders who have been renamed include Rabi Narayan Nanda (Jeypore), Sanjeeb Sahoo (Athamallik), Sanjeev Pratap Deo (Biramitrapur), Prakruti Singh Deo (Patnagarh) and K Narayan Rao (Parlakhmundi).
The candidates' list was also declared for remaining seats of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Sambalpur, Angul and Sundergarh districts.
BJD gave ticket to Ashok Pangi, son of Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi, to contest from Kotpad assembly seat even as many tribal leaders protested his candidature. The party today changed its nominee for Kabisuryanagar assembly segment.
“I am happy to inform you that Smt V Sugnani Kumari Deo, the senior leader of our party, will contest from from Kabisuryanagar assembly constituency,” BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while announcing the candidates’ list today.
The party had earlier named Latika Pradhan to fight from the seat citing that Deo was unwilling to contest the polls due to health reasons. However, when several hundred workers staged protest objecting to denial of party ticket to Deo, a nine-time MLA from the area, Patnaik was forced to change the candidate.