Lok Sabha elections 2019: Big test for Naveen as focus shifts to western Odisha

On Thursday, five of Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 of 147 assembly seats will head to polls simultaneously. While four LS (28 assembly) seats went to polls in the first phase, the remaining 12 (and 84 assembly seats) will vote on April 23 and 29.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik faces his day of reckoning on Thursday when voters turn out to exercise their franchise in both assembly constituencies he is contesting — Hinjili in Ganjam district (his home turf) and Bijepur in Bargarh (for the first time).

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik faces his day of reckoning on Thursday when voters turn out to exercise their franchise in both assembly constituencies he is contesting — Hinjili in Ganjam district (his home turf) and Bijepur in Bargarh (for the first time). (Arabinda Mahapatra)

On Thursday, five of Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 of 147 assembly seats will head to polls simultaneously. While four LS (28 assembly) seats went to polls in the first phase, the remaining 12 (and 84 assembly seats) will vote on April 23 and 29.

“Patnaik has taken on the challenge from the BJP, knowing that the saffron party did well at panchayat polls in Bargarh. If he can stem the tide there, it will not be difficult for his BJD to stop the BJP in the other constituencies too,” said SP Dash, professor of political science at Sambalpur university. Other candidates in the fray are leader of opposition and senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra and the BJP’s KV Singhdeo from the Bolangir and Patnagarh assembly seats, and union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram and three-time BJP MP MA Kharabela Swain from the Sundargarh and Kandhamal Lok Sabha seats, respectively.