Bhubaneswar: The Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced its candidates for six more Assembly constituencies.
The party has re-nominated only one sitting MLA Tusharkanti Behera for Kakatput in Puri district while dropping five sitting MLAs, Simarani Nayak (Hindol), Subrat Tarai (Raghunathpali), Raghunandan Das (Balikuda-Erasama), Ranjita Marndi (Bangiriposhi), Sunanda Das (Bari).
The party has nominated Mahesh Sahu for Hindol replacing sitting MLA Simarani Nayak while Subrat Tarai’s wife Archana Rekha Behera got ticket for Raghunathpali MLA segment. BJD has fielded Sarada Prasanna Jena, who joined BJD in 2019 after quitting Congress, has been nominated for Balikuda-Erasama in place of Raghunandan Das.
Ranjita Marndi, wife of sitting BJD MLA Sudam Marndi has been nominated for Bangiriposhi. Earlier the party had announced Sudam for Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat.
Biswa Ranjan Mallick, who joined the BJD after resigning from BJP in 2021, got the party ticket for Bari MLA segment. Mallick, the BJP nominee for 2019 polls, had secured 68,497 votes and remained in second position in the last poll.
So far, the BJD has announced candidates for 241 Assembly seats out of 147 seats. The party has yet to announce candidates for Bhograi, Nilagiri, Korei, Khandapada, Begunia, and Khurda MLA seats.
