Odisha Elections 2024: BJD Releases 2nd List Of 27 Assembly Candidates; Repeats Dipali, Rewards Adhiraj

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Odisha.

BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the second list of 27 candidates for Assembly polls through a video message. He also released third list of candidates for five Lok Sabha seats.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party has re-nominated several of its sitting legislators. Dipali Das, who had won the by-election to Jharsuguda Assembly constituency held following the murder of his father and the then Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, has been given ticket for the same seat.

Similarly, sitting MLA from Brajarajnagar Alaka Mohanty, who had won the bypoll following the demise of her husband Kishore Mohanty in 2022, has been repeated by the party for the same Assembly constituency.

As many as seven sitting MLAs, including Pratap Jena and Parsuram Dhada, have been denied BJD tickets for the upcoming polls, while several women have been nominated as party candidates in the list released on Wednesday.

Several sitting legislators have been repeated by the regional party. It has re-nominated former Minister Padmanav Behera from Biramaharajpur Assembly constituency. He has been representing the Assembly seat since 2009.

Khariar MLA Adhiraj Panigrahi, who recently resigned from Congress and joined BJD, has been rewarded. He has been given ticket from the same Assembly constituency.

While Prashant Muduli has been re-nominated from Jagatsinghpur, the ruling party has also repeated Minister Ashok Panda (Ekamra Bhubaneswar), Suryamani Vaidya (Khallikote), Sushant Rout (Bhubaneswar North) and Sananda Marandi (Baripada). The party is yet to announce its candidate for Bhubaneswar Central seat.

Former works secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan who had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Sambalpur has been fielded from Athamallick Assembly seat this time.

Ankit Pratap Jena, son of former Minister Pratap Jena, has been fielded from Mahanga Assembly seat. Pratap Jena represents the constituency at present.

Rupesh Panigrahi, son of Hi-Tech Hospital owner Tirupati Panigrahi, has been fielded in Paralakhemundi seat, while Anil Barwa, son of veteran leader Mangla Kisan, has got the party ticket for Rajgangpur constituency.

The ruling BJD had announced the first list of candidates for 9 Lok Sabha seats and 72 Assembly seats on March 27. The regional party released the second list of 6 more candidates for Lok Sabha polls the same day.

List of Assembly Candidates: 

1.Brajrajnagar: Alaka Mohanty
2.Jharsuguda: Dipali Das
3.Talsara: Bijay Toppo
4.Sundargarh: Jogesh Singh
5.Rajgangpur: Anil Barwa
6.Bonai: Bhimsen Choudhury
7.Jashipur: Chakradhar Hembram
8.Udala: Srinath Soren
9.Baripada: Sananda Marndi
10.Badasahi: Anusaya Patra
11.Moroda: Preetinanda Kanungo
12.Soro: Madhab Dhada
13.Athmallik: Nalinikant Pradhan
14.Birmaharajpur: Padmanav Behera
15.Khariar: Adhiraj Panigrahi
16.Phulbani: Jayshree Kanhar
17.Mahanga: Ankit Pratap Jena
18.Tirtol: Ramakant Bhoi
19.Jagatsinghpur: Prasant Muduli
20.Bhubaneswar-North: Susanta Rout
21.Ekamra-Bhubaneswar: Ashok Panda
22.Khalikote: Suryamani Vaidya
23.Aska: Manjula Swain
24.Berhampur: Ramesh Chyupatnaik
25.Paralakhemundi: Rupesh Panigrahi
26.Mohona: Antaryami Gamango
27.Pottangi: Prafulla Pangi

It may be noted here that the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.