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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today announced first list of candidates for 5 Lok Sabha and 30 assembly seats with some new faces making their way to the list prepared by the party leadership after prolonged discussions.
All eyes are on the BJD’s candidates list as there was heavy rush of aspirants to get ticket from the party, which is tipped to do better than its competitors as per various pre-poll surveys and general political sentiment in the state.
“In the last few days, we have received more than 5,000 applications requesting candidature of BJD from every root corner of our State,” Patnaik said while announcing the candidates’ list.
The Lok Sabha candidates named by the party are former national hockey team captain Dillip Tirkey (Sundargarh), Ladukishore Swain (Aska), film actor Sidhanta Mohapatra (Berhampur), Arkakeshari Deo (Kalahandi) and Kalikesh Singhdeo (Balangir). Out of five names, three candidates, Tirkey, Swain and Deo will fight the election for the first time.
The announcement of candidate for Kalahandi seat has put all the speculation to rest as it was touted that Bhupinder Singh, the former Leader of Opposition and Congress leader, who recently joined BJD, might get the party ticket. Singh, has, however, said that he had no desire to contest the polls.
In the list of 30 assembly seats, comprising some districts of western and southern Odisha, which is going to the poll in the first phase on April 10, the BJD has named eight candidates who are first timers while one candidate (Jogendra Behera), has been assigned to fight from Loisingha seat instead of his previous contesting place Titlagarh.
Interestingly, the party has renamed Rourkela MLA, Sarada Nayak, who was expelled from state council of ministers in 2012 for his alleged involvement in the failed coup bid hatched by Rajya Sabha MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.
In a bid to assuage the hurt feelings of those aspirants who did not get the party ticket, a factor that might lead to emergence of rebel candidates in the poll, Patnaik said, “I am indeed humbled and personally moved by the confidence all the ticket applicants have reposed in BJD and the Biju Ideology. I personally thank each one of them. I am confident they will continue to support the party and work for a self-reliant and prosperous state,” 15.00
Sources said, the ruling party is still undecided about naming candidates for many places as several party insiders and newcomers from other parties are jostling for candidature. It is also yet to conclude seat sharing talks with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj districts, as announced earlier this week. “The talks (with JMM) are still on. Let’s see what happened,” said Kalpataru Das, BJD vice president today.
