Dharmendra Won’t Contest Polls, Says BJP’s Odisha In-Charge

Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will not contest elections this year, the BJP’s Odisha prabhari (in-charge) and national general secretary Arun Singh has told a television channel.

“Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will neither fight from any Assembly nor Lok Sabha seat this time,” Arun said. “He will only campaign and seek votes for party candidates, as he is very popular among the people.”

Earlier, there was speculation that Dharmendra will enter the poll fray, as he is being seen as the BJP’s chief ministerial face in the state.

The Union Minister himself had said in the past that he would fight the electoral battle from Odisha in 2019. But he had not specified if it would be an Assembly or Lok Sabha seat, leaving that for the party to decide.

On Sunday, the ruling BJD in the state had countered Dharmendra’s contention that there was a mood for change in the state and dared him to step into the electoral arena and face voters instead of talking on various issues.

It was being said that Dharmendra would either enter the fray from the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency or stand from the Pallahara Assembly seat. But some of Dharmendra’s close associates argue that were he to contest, the BJD would succeed in confining him to the particular constituency and he cannot campaign all over the state for the party. “It makes sense for him not to contest and ensure the party wins more seats,” said a BJP leader.