BJD President and Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik announced names of his party candidates on Monday the 18th of March, on the day the Election Commission issued notification for 1st phase of the General Elections.
Naveen Patnaik will be contesting in Bijepur Assembly Constituency of the Western Odisha along with that of his traditional turf, Hinjili as a part of his poll strategy. He seems to have also preferred to go with changed faces in the elections. Of the candidates for the 9 parliamentary constituencies, eight of the sitting MPs could not win Naveen’s confidence.
Naveen Patnaik announced the candidate list of nine parliamentary and 54 assembly constituencies that are to go to poll on April 11, and April 18. Names for 9 assembly segments have been left to wait for the next development.
Three women candidates figured in the list of nine parliamentary candidates. Kaushalya Hikaka got the ticket for the Koraput – her husband Jhinna Hikaka is the sitting MP of the constituency. While Sunita Biswal, daughter of Congress bigwig Hemananda Biswal, replaced Dilip Tirkey in the Sundergarh constituency. Pramila Bisoyi, a 68-year-old, SHG worker is the surprise name selected for Aska Constituency to contest in the BJD ticket.
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