3 turncoats in BJD list of 9 assembly candidates

With the latest list, the BJD has announced 108 candidates for the 147-member Assembly. The party is yet to announce its candidates for 39 assembly seats

Published on: Apr 6, 2024, 14:39:10 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday announced nine candidates for the upcoming Assembly election in Odisha.

BJD president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (File)

With this, the party has announced 108 candidates for the 147-member Assembly. The party is yet to announce its candidates for 39 assembly seats.

BJD president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced the names of party candidates in a video message, including three turncoats in the list. Prakash Behera (Barabati-Cuttack seat), Raisen Murmu (Rairangpur) and Rohit Joseph Tirkey (Biramitrapur) had joined the BJD recently from other parties.

Two days ago, the party had rewarded four turncoats with MP/MLA tickets. It gave tickets to Adhiraj Panigrahi (Khariar assembly constituency), Surendra Singh Bhoi (Bolangir Lok Sabha constituency), Parineeta Mishra (Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency) and Bhrugu Baxmipatra (Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency).

Of the 20 Lok Sabha candidates announced so far, the party has rewarded five turncoats while negotiations are on for getting Congress leader Navajyoti Patnaik to contest from Balasore Lok Sabha on BJD ticket.

Beginning May 13, elections to the 147 seats in the state assembly and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies will take place on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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