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    Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from two assembly constituencies

    Synopsis

    When asked which one he'd let go off if he won both seats, the four- time CM said, “We shall see then”.

    Naveen-Patnaik-bccl1
    Patnaik, announcing the Biju Janata Dal’s first list of 54 legislature and nine parliament candidates on Monday, said he would be contesting from the usual Hinjili in Ganjam and Bijepur in western Odisha.
    BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest, for the first time in his twenty year long political career, from two assembly constituencies in 2019. Patnaik, announcing the Biju Janata Dal’s first list of 54 legislature and nine parliament candidates on Monday, said he would be contesting from the usual Hinjili in Ganjam and Bijepur in western Odisha.

    When asked which one he'd let go off if he won both seats, the four- time CM said, “We shall see then”.

    BJD’s first list of nine of Odisha's 21 LS seats has been offered to among others incumbent MP, Kalikesh Singh Deo (Bolangir), sitting Rajya Sabha MPs Prasanna Acharya (Bargarh) and educational entrepreneur Achyuta Samanta (Kandhamal).

    Kalahandi MLA Pushpendra Singh Deo will be contesting for the Kalahandi parliamentary seat this time, as will former Congressman and union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahoo. The latter’s confirmation could mean the BJD will not be fielding actor Siddhant Mohaptra from Berhampur this time. Bhupinder Singh, the former Congress leader of opposition who'd joined BJD just before the 2014 polls will contest from Narla assembly constituency in Kalahandi while Naba Kishore Das (Congress' Jharsuguda MLA) will now fight on a BJD ticket.

    Western Odisha where the Bharatiya Janata Party gets it's best result from will see a tough contest this time. The scheduling of the simultaneous polls, over four phases instead of two, the BJD believes is unjustified and advantagous to the BJP which may have otherwise had its resources spread thin in in it's countrywide campaigning.

    BJD's star campaigner is undoubtedly Patnaik, whose popularity in the state surpasses Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s. By getting him to contest from Bijepur, under the Bargarh LS constituency, BJD will hope to minimise its losses from this region. MLA Rita Sahu, the shy widow of a three time Congressman that Patnaik's made an MLA and politician of only last year, will have to be sacrificed. However Patnaik was proud to announce Pramila Bisoi a woman from humble background who leads a self-help group as his candidate for the Aska Lok Sabha consrituency.

    Ramesh Majhi is BJD's person in Nabarangpur, while Sunita Biswal their candidate for the Sundargarh parliamentary constituency. Among the BJD legislators he is renominating are Bikram Keshari Aurakh (Bhanjangar), Pradeep Amat (Boudh), Tukuni Sahu (Titalagarh) and Usha Devi (Chikiti).


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