The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, revealing high profile political contests ahead.
The BJD has announced candidates for 15 out 21 Lok Sabha seats, and 72 out 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.
Pranab Prakash Das, the BJD’s organisational secretary, the second-most influential position in the party after the president, is the BJD’s candidate for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat.
The BJP had earlier fielded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its candidate for the same seat. With Mr. Pradhan returning to contest direct elections in Odisha after a 15-year hiatus, he is likely to face formidable opposition, especially since the regional party has elevated the stakes by nominating Mr. Das, turning the contest into a matter of prestige.
At present, the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat is held by the BJP but the sitting MP Nitish Gangadeb has drawn flak for reported non-performance. Sambalpur is a BJP stronghold. Of the seven Assembly seats falling under the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, in 2019, the BJP had won three seats — Sambalpur, Rengali, and Deogarh.
Mr. Pradhan had previously represented the erstwhile Deogarh Lok Sabha constituency from 2004 to 2009. Mr. Das, on the other hand, hails from Jajpur district, and does not have experience in fighting a direct election from Sambalpur and Deogarh districts.
Political observers here hold the view that the BJD will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that its organisational superiority gives Mr. Pradhan a run for his money.
The Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency is also poised for an engaging political showdown as the former captain of the Indian hockey team and head of Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, prepares to contest as the BJD’s candidate against BJP stalwart and former Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.
Hailing from Sundargarh district, Mr. Tirkey is Odisha’s sports icon. Previously representing the BJD in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Tirkey’s candidacy holds significance, particularly given his Christian background. The minority community has a sizeable population in Sundargarh. The regional party is optimistic about leveraging this demographic factor to its advantage in the upcoming elections.
Similarly, the BJD has fielded debutant Manmath Routray as the Lok Sabha candidate from the Bhubaneswar seat against the BJP’s national spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi. Incidentally, Mr. Routray, son of veteran Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray, joined the regional party on Wednesday. The Jatni Assembly constituency falls under the jurisdiction of Bhubaneswar.
Similarly, the regional party has named Arup Patnaik, former Mumbai Police Commissioner, as its Puri Lok Sabha candidate. Mr. Patnaik will have a tough time fighting Sambit Patra, BJP national spokesperson, who narrowly lost the seat in 2019.
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The BJD has announced that the BJP national vice president Baijyant Panda will face Ansuman Mohanty, who recently joined the BJD from the Congress party. Mr. Panda has previously won the Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat twice.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest from the Hinjili Assembly constituency in his home district of Ganjam, a seat he has held for five consecutive times.
