Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Friday released a list of 40 star campaigners for the Nuapada Assembly by-election scheduled for November 11.
While Naveen had already announced that he would campaign in Nuapada while declaring Snehangini Chhuria as the BJD nominee for the high-stakes bypoll, the party has put up a balance mix of experienced party veterans and regional heavyweights by including senior leaders Prasanna Acharya, Debi Prasad Mishra, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Niranjan Pujari, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Pratap Deb, and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, among others.
The lineup of women leaders, including Tukuni Sahu, Sulata Deo, Lekhashree Samantsinghar, Subasini Jena, Barsa Singh Bariha, and Deepali Das, further highlight the BJD’s focus on gender diversity in its campaign with a woman leader in the fray from the party.
The inclusion of influential western Odisha figures – Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Puspendra Singh Deo, Rohit Pujari and Saroj Kumar Meher – also indicate a strategy to consolidate the party’s base in the region ahead of polling.
The Star Campaigners List
1. Naveen Patnaik
2. Prasanna Acharya
3. Debi Prasad Mishra
4. Ranendra Pratap Swain
5. Niranjan Pujari
6. Dr. Arun Kumar Sahoo
7. Pratap Deb
8. Pranab Prakash Das
9. Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak
10. Pratap Jena
11. Sanjay Kumar Das Burma
12. Dibya Shankar Mishra
13. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo
14. Sarada Nayak
15. Puspendra Singh Deo
16. Priti Ranjan Gharai
17. Tukuni Sahu
18. Sulata Deo
19. Lekhashri Samantsinghar
20. Sudam Marndi
21. Debesh Acharya
22. Pradip Kumar Dishari
23. Saroj Kumar Meher
24. Rohit Pujari
25. Mujibulla Khan
26. Bikram Panda
27. Bhrugu Baxipatra
28. Jogesh Singh
29. Niranjan Bisi
30. Manohar Randhari
31. Ramesh Majhi
32. Pradip Majhi
33. Adhiraj Panigrahi
34. Romancha Ranjan Biswal
35. Subasini Jena
36. Barsa Singh Bariha
37. Deepali Das
38. Manorama Mohanty
39. Chinmaya Sahu
40. Ipsita Sahu
Earlier, the BJD fielded a 52-member campaign team, comprising former ministers, sitting and ex-MLAs, to spearhead its efforts in the bypoll.
This has come a day after the BJP announced its list of 40 star campaigners even as Chief Minister Mohan Majhi sounded the poll bugle by addressing a public rally in Nuapada district. BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, son of late sitting BJD MLA Ranjendra Dholakia whose death necessitated the bypoll, is expected to file his nomination on October 18.
Congress nominee Ghasiram Majhi has already filed his nominations.