BJD’s Naveen Patnaik files nomination from two Odisha assembly seats

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also filed his nomination from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency

Updated on: May 2, 2024, 18:48:37 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday filed nominations for the Kantabanji assembly constituency under the Bolangir parliamentary constituency in the state’s western region. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had earlier declared that the chief minister would contest from a second seat.

Odisha CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik files his nomination papers from the Kantabanji Assembly seat (Twitter/@ANI)

The BJD chief had on Tuesday filed a nomination from his traditional assembly constituency of Hinjili in Ganjam district.

On Thursday, he arrived at a temporary helipad in Titlagarh town, where he filed his nomination for the Kantabanji assembly constituency. Patnaik was accompanied by his trusted aide VK Pandian, senior BJD leader A U Singhdeo and Titlagarh MLA Tukuni Sahu.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases, starting from phase 1 on May 13, phase 2 on May 20, phase 3 on May 25 and the final [hase on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the BJD emerged as the dominant party, securing 20 out of the 21 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a single seat.

Also Read: Naveen Patnaik files nomination from Hinjili Assembly constituency

However, in the 2019 elections, the BJD’s seat count was reduced to 12, while the BJP made significant gains, winning eight seats.

Amid rising acceptance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in western Odisha and its success in the 2017 panchayat polls, Patnaik’s strategy of taking the fight to the opposition camp paid dividends as BJD stemmed the rise of BJP in a region where it has been traditionally strong.

A Congress stronghold, Kantabanji saw Congress’ victory in the 2019 elections while the BJD came in third. BJP finished second. Western Odisha districts have five Lok Sabha seats and 33 assembly constituencies and the BJD strategists believe Patnaik entering the fray will change the political discourse in the area and keep the growth of BJP in check.

Meanwhile, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also filed his nomination from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. Pradhan filed his paper before the Sambalpur district collector accompanied by BJP leaders.

Before filing his nomination papers, Pradhan visited Samaleswari Temple to seek the blessings of the presiding deity and later headed to a huge rally to file nomination papers along with BJP Sambalpur MLA Candidate Jaynarayan Mishra and BJP Rengali MLA Candidate Nauri Nayak.

Pradhan is up against BJD’s Pranab Prakash Das, who is the organisational secretary of the regional party. The seat would go to polls on May 25.

Last week, speaking to The Hindustan Times, Pradhan said his party would win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. “Our party would also form the government in Odisha. In the last 24 years, Naveen Patnaik has fooled and failed the Odia people. His credibility is at the lowest this time.”

Pradhan is contesting elections after a gap of 15 years. He had last contested elections in 2009 after the BJP-BJD alliance had ended. He lost the assembly poll that year contesting from the Pallahara seat.

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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