Bhubaneswar: The BJP has fielded a fresh face from Hinjli Assembly constituency where BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is seeking re-election for the sixth time in a row.
Sisir Mishra, the BJP MLA candidate from the seat, is the younger brother of late Sarat Mishra, who was a noted BJP leader and worked towards creating a support base for the saffron party in Ganjam. Sisir had worked as coordinator for BJP candidate and lawyer Pitambar Acharya in Hinjili in 2019.
Pradeep Panigrahi, who is now in saffron fold and contesting from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, can also play a part in the BJP election campaign in Hinjili as he is well acquainted with the constituency having managed it on behalf of the CM for several years.
Speaking to the media, Sisir said that the saffron party has been gaining strength in the constituency. “The BJP had given BJD a tough fight in municipality elections, having won 5200 votes against the ruling party’s 6400, and also Zilla Parishad elections,” he said.
He said that he is local lad, having completed his schooling and college education in Hinjli, and the grandson of freedom fighter Jagannath Mishra, who had fought against former minister and eight-time Congress MLA Brundaban Nayak.
Sisir added that he would seek votes on the basis of ‘Modi ji guarantee’ to realise the vision of a safe and prosperous India under his leadership.
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On the other hand, there was a fall in the victory margin of Naveen in 2019 after having registered a continuous increase since 2000 when he contested the Assembly elections for the first time. He won the elections from Hinjili by a margin of over 29,826 votes in 2000. The margin increased to 76,586 in the 2014 assembly elections, but dropped to 60,160 five years later.
In the last assembly election, the BJD president contested and won from both Hinjili and Bijepur, a western Odisha constituency. He, however, retained Hinjili.
If the BJD returns to power in 2024, Naveen will become the longest-serving Chief Minister in the country, surpassing the record of Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim.
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