BJD Releases First Candidate List For Lok Sabha Elections: Here Are The Key Challenges For BJP In Odisha

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) unveiled its initial candidate roster for the forthcoming Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, setting the stage for prominent political contests as per a report by The Hindu.

The party revealed its picks for nine out of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 72 out of 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.

Pranab Prakash Das, the BJD’s organisational secretary and a key figure in the party hierarchy, has been named as the candidate for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat.

This sets up a high-stakes battle as the BJP had earlier nominated Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the same constituency.

Pradhan's return to contest direct elections in Odisha after a 15-year hiatus suggests a formidable challenge, especially since the BJD has countered by nominating Das, escalating the contest into a matter of prestige.

Currently held by the BJP, the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat has seen criticism of the incumbent MP Nitish Gangadeb for alleged non-performance.

Although a BJP stronghold, in the 2019 elections, the BJP had secured only three out of the seven Assembly seats under the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency - Sambalpur, Rengali, and Deogarh.

Political analysts predict that the BJD will make a concerted effort to leverage its organisational strength to give Pradhan a tough fight.

The Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency is also gearing up for an intriguing contest as former Indian hockey captain and head of Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, is set to contest as the BJD’s candidate against BJP stalwart and former Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.

Coming from Sundargarh district, Tirkey, a sports icon in Odisha, previously represented the BJD in the Rajya Sabha.

His candidacy is significant, particularly given his Christian background, as the minority community holds considerable sway in Sundargarh. The BJD is optimistic about capitalising on this demographic factor in the upcoming elections.

Similarly, the BJD has nominated debutant Manmath Routray as its candidate for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, pitting him against BJP national spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi.

Routray, son of the veteran Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray, recently joined the BJD. The Jatni Assembly constituency falls within the Bhubaneswar jurisdiction.

The BJD has also announced that BJP national vice president Baijyant Panda will face Ansuman Mohanty, who recently switched to the BJD from the Congress party. Panda has previously won the Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat twice.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest from the Hinjili Assembly constituency in his home district of Ganjam, a seat he has held for five consecutive terms.