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