LS polls: BJD announces list of 9 candidates, fields Anubhav Mohanty against Jay Panda in Kendrapara

Odia film star Anubhav Mohanty fielded against BJP's Baijayant 'Jay' Panda from Kendrapara seat was the highlight of Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) list of nine candidates announced on Wednesday for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Panda had won from the Kendrapara seat on BJD's ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, he was suspended from the party for his "anti-party activities" in January last year and he ended his over 18 years of association with BJD on May 28. He joined BJP on March 4.

Besides Mohanty, BJD has fielded Pinaki Mishra from Puri, Arup Mohan Patnaik from Bhubaneswar, Debashish Marandi from Mayurbhanj, Rajashree Mallick from Jagatsinghpur, Nalin Pradhan from Sambalpur, Rabindra Kumar Jena from Balasore Sarmishta Sethi from Jajpur and Manjulala Mandal from Bhadrak.

BJD has also released a list of 36 candidates for Odisha Assembly election.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will begin from April 11 and counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats. The state will witness simultaneous elections on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.