Senior BJD Leader Prasanna Acharya Discharged From Hospital; Will He Contest Odisha Elections?

Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya, who was airlifted to Bhubaneswar after being critical injured in a car crash in Sambalpur district, has been discharged from a private hospital here.

He has recovered from injuries sustained on his eyebrows after a head-on collision between his SUV and a gas tanker near Beldihi in Rairakhol area on March 14 while on his way to Bargarh from Bhubaneswar. He was rushed to a private hospital in Sambalpur and flown to Bhubaneswar by air ambulance, a day later, for better care.

“I have recovered with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Maa Samaleswari. I am thankful to all my well-wishers and supporters who and stood by me and prayed for me,” Acharya said after being discharged from the hospital where he underwent plastic surgery for an injury on his upper eyelid.

Speculation is rife that the BJD might field Acharya from either Bargarh Lok Sabha seat or Rairakhol assembly seat, which Rohit Pujari has been winning for the party for the last two elections. However, it is to be seen if his health will permit him to contest the upcoming polls.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party has so far announced MP candidates for 15 Lok Sabha constituencies, barring Berhampur, Balangir, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Balasore seats, and 72 MLA candidates.

Acharya was a cabinet minister in the Biju Patnaik-led Janta Dal government from 1990 to 1995 when he represented Bargarh constituency. He represented Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat in 1998, 1999, and 2004. He was also a minister in the BJD government after winning the 2009 Assembly elections from Rairakhol by around 10,000 votes.

In 2014, Acharya lost to Congress’ Subal Sahu in Bijepur by a slender margin of 458 votes. He again lost to BJP’s Suresh Pujari in 2019 elections from Bargarh Lok Sabha seat.

Acharya was also a Rajya Sabha member from 2016 to 2022.

The BJP has fielded Pradeep Purohit in place of sitting MP Suresh Pujari from Bargarh this time. Congress has nominated Sanjay Bhoi, who had won the seat in 2009 but finished third in 2014 elections.