BJD announces list for 9 Lok Sabha, 54 Assembly constituencies

Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced the names of 9 candidates out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections along with the names of 54 candidates for the upcoming state Assembly election.

Pranab Prakash Das—general secretary (Organisation)—will contest from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP candidate.

Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2024: Supriya Shrinate gets Election Commission notice over post on Kangana Ranaut

Odisha Minister Sudam Marndi will contest from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat. Former Indian Hockey skipper Dilip Tirky will face former Union Minister and sitting MP Jual Oram in the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat.

Check the full list of Candidates: 

• Pranab Prakash Das: Sambalpur
• Lambodhar Nial: Kalahandi
• Manmath Routray: Bhubaneswar
• Anshuman Mohanty: Kendrapara
• Paradip Majhi : Nabarangpur:
• Dilip Tirkey : Sundargarh
• Sudam Marandi : Mayurbhanj:
• Ranjita Sahu: Aska
• Kaushalya Hikaka: Koraput

The Odisha Chief Minister himself will contest from the Hinjili assembly constituency. 

In an other development, Manmath Routray, son of six-time Congress MLA Suresh Routray, today joined the ruling BJD in the state, and later he wasx nominated from the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency.

Manmath, a former commercial pilot, went to the BJD headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, with his supporters in a procession. He was inducted into the party by its MPs Manas Mangaraj and Sasmit Patra, news agency PTI reported. 

Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal news LIVE: Delhi HC to deliver order on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea

"I will work for the ideology of my father and also Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Both leaders have one agenda in life and that is development. I will work for the development of Odisha," Routray said.

It is intresting to note that his father Suresh Routray had on Tuesday said that he wanted his son to contest elections as a Congress candidate.

Also Read | IPL 2024: Shubman Gill fined whopping ₹12 lakhs for CSK vs GT match

"I accept Manmath's decision of joining the BJD as he is mature enough to make decisions on his political career," said Routray, the MLA of Jatani.

Stating that he would not contest the ensuing polls due to his age, the 80-year-old leader said he would, however, cast his vote in favour of the Congress candidate and not to his son, who is likely to be fielded by the BJD.