Elections 2019: Niranjan Accepts Badri’s Challenge, Could Contest From 2 Seats

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik has accepted BJD’s Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra’s challenge to contest against him. He is also likely to contest from a second seat.

Earlier on Saturday, Keonjhar district Congress working president Ratikant Pradhan said the OPCC president will contest from Ghasipura against his arch-rival and sitting BJD MLA Badri Narayan Patra and he might also file his nomination for the Bhandaripokhari seat.

Later, talking to mediapersons here, Niranjan confirmed he will contest from both the seats if the All India Congress Committee (AICC) permits him.

He said he has requested AICC to make him the candidate from Ghasipura. “I have no guts to kill and terrorise people the way the sitting Ghasipura MLA is used to. But I have guts to contest against him,” Niranjan said. Badri had on Thursday dared Niranjan to contest against him, saying: “The people of Keonjhar do not know who Niranjan Patnaik is. Can he say what he has done for this district?”

Reacting to Niranjan’s comment, Badri reiterated that the people of Ghasipura have forgotten the Congress leader. “The people of this constituency have not seen him in the past 10 years. He comes here once in a blue moon to keep some people in good humour. The Congress will make the least impact if he contests from Ghasipura,” Badri said.