Bhubaneswar: BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to contest from Kantabanji Assembly seat in Western Odisha in addition to his traditional Hinjili constituency in Ganjam district.
In 2019 elections, Shri Patnaik contested from Bijepur MLA seat in Bargarh district in addition to Hinjili segment and won both seats. Later, he retrained his traditional Hinjili constituency and resigned from Bijepur seat.
As BJD is treated Western Odisha as a strong belt of BJP and tall leaders like Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, ex-Union Ministers, Dillip Ray, Jual Oram, and Leader of Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra are contesting from different MLA and MP seats in the western parts of the State. So, the Governing Party Boss has decided to contest from Kantabanji this time.
Kantabanji is located adjoining Kalahandi and Bolangir districts of the State. So, the party expected to get an impact from the CM’s nominee in these two districts. Besides, the party making out all efforts to win the Bolangir MP seat also.
There was a speculation that sitting MLA Congress from Kantabanji, Santosh Singh Saluja would join the BJD. After this announcement by the BJD Boss, it is clear that Shri Saluja is not joining the BJD. Shri Patnaik will contest the poll against the sitting Congress MLA from the Kantabanji seat.
In 2019, CM won the Bijepur Assembly seat. However, the party lost the Bargarh MP seat to BJP. This time, the party is going to change its strategy, sources said.
BJD has nominated Surendra Singh Bhoi, a former Congress leader, for the Bolangir MP seat against sitting BJP MP Sangeeta Singh Deo.
Bolangir is going to witness dual heat during this summer—one is a rise in day’s temperature and another is a rise in political heat.