Naveen Patnaik to contest two assembly seats

BJD leaders said Patnaik’s move to contest from Kantabanji will positively impact the party’s prospects in the Bolangir, Kalahandi, and Sambalpur Lok Sabha seats

Published on: Apr 17, 2024, 16:37:11 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced he will contest from Kantabanji in western Odisha apart from his pocket borough of Hinjili. He opted for a second seat—Bijepur in western Odisha—for the first time in his two-decade political career in 2019 amid rising acceptance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the region following its successes in the 2017 panchayat polls.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (ANI)

Patnaik’s strategy helped the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to stem the BJP’s rise in the region. In 2019, Patnaik retained Hinjili, which he has represented since 2000, after winning both seats he contested.

Western Odisha accounts for five Lok Sabha and 33 assembly seats. BJD strategists believe Patnaik’s move to contest again from the region will help keep the BJP’s growth in check. Most opinion polls have suggested that the BJP would increase its tally of Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Odisha is going for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections from May 13. Hijili and Kantabanji will go to the polls on May 20. A large number of migrant workers leave Kantabanji annually to work in brick kilns in Chhatisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

BJD leaders said Patnaik’s move to contest from Kantabanji will positively impact the party’s prospects in the Bolangir, Kalahandi, and Sambalpur Lok Sabha seats.

Patnaik on Wednesday separately announced the names of eight more candidates including six women for the assembly election. The BJP has so far named 126 assembly candidates. The BJD has given tickets to 28 women, the highest so far.

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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