BJD announces fifth list for Odisha Assembly polls, CM to contest from Kantabanji

Bhubaneswar (Odisha): Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday released fifth list of candidates for the Odisha Assembly Elections 2024.

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik will contest from Kantabanji seat apart from his home turf Hinjili, which was declared before.

Laxmipriya Nayak will contest from Chitrakonda, Barsa Singh Bariha from Padampur, Rajendra Chhatria from Kuchinda, Arundhati Kumari Devi from Deogarh, Sanjukta Singh from Angul, Dilip Kumar Nayak from Nimapara.

Sulkhnsa Gitanjali Devi has been fielded from Sanakhemundi, and Indira Nanda from Jeypore.

The BJD has also swapped two MLA nominees.

Rohit Pujari will now contest from Sambalpur, and Prasanna Acharya from Rairakhol.

Earlier, Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik announced the fourth list of nine candidates for the Odisha

Assembly elections and one candidate for Lok Sabha elections.

The BJD party stated that Lekhasri Samantasinghar has been fielded from Balasore Lok Sabha seat.

BJD also announced a 38-member manifesto committee for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Committee will discuss with various sectors of society, different areas and different age groups to prepare a manifesto.

Berhampur MP and BJD Vice-President Chandrashekhar Sahu was appointed as the chairman of the committee.

Notably, in the 2019 Assembly polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) secured a significant victory with 112 seats, with Naveen Patnaik becoming CM for the fifth consecutive time since 2000.

The Election Commission announced that the elections in Odisha will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections and will be completed in four phases, starting from Phase one on May 13, Phase two on May 20, Phase three on May 25 and the final Phase on June 1.

The results will be announced on June 4.