Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, state BJP chief Basant Panda and Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress were among a galaxy of leaders who filed their nomination on Monday for the state assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Patnaik, who heads the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), filed his second nomination for Bijepur assembly constituency in West Odidsha's Bargarh district.
The BJD president, who is contesting from two seats for the first time, had submitted papers from his home turf Hinjili in south Odisha's Ganjam district on March 20.
The chief minister has won all the four assembly elections since 2000 from Hinjili. Both Bijepur and Hinjili will go to polls in the second phase on April 18.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress filed his nomination from Bolangir assembly seat from where he had won in 2014 defeating senior BJD leader A U Singhdeo.
In Bolangir Lok Sabha constituency, sitting BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, BJP candidate Sangeeta Singhdeo and Congress nominee Samarendra Mishra filed their nominations.
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Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das and senior BJD leader Pushpendra Singhdeo filed their papers from Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat. BJP state unit President Basant Panda also submitted his nomination from the seat.
In Bargarh Lok Sabha segment, Prasanna Acharya of the BJD and Suresh Pujari of the BJP submitted their papers.
Rajya Sabha member Achyut Samanta filed nomination from Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat as a BJD candidate, while Pramila Bisoi did so from Aska parliamentary seat as a ruling party nominee.
State ministers Bikram Keshari Arukh and Snehangini Churia filed their nominations for Bhanjanagar and Attabira Assembly constituencies respectively which they are representing in the outgoing house.
As nomination process for the first phase of polling to be held on April 11 ended Monday, a total of 245 aspirants have filed their papers for 28 assembly seats and 30 for four Lok Sabha seats. Scrutiny for the first phase polling will be undertaken on Tuesday.
Odisha will go to polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 for the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats.
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