BJP announces candidates for 99 Assembly seats in Odisha

The BJP Thursday announced names of its candidates for 99 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha which will go for simultaneous polls along with Lok Sabha in four phases beginning from April 11.

The list was released by the party following the BJP's Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi. Earlier, the party had announced names of its candidates for Odisha's 10 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJP, which has set a 120-plus mission for Odisha, has fielded many new entrants who joined the BJP after resigning either from the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or the Congress.

The prominent BJD leaders who recently joined the party and given ticket are Damodar Rout (Balikuda-Ersama) and Kusum Tete (Sundergarh).

Congress MLA from Salipur Prakash Behera, who too joined the BJP recently, has been named as the party's candidate from his own constituency.

The party has also nominated its senior leaders to contest from different assembly segments. While former minister Samir Dey has been named as the BJP candidate from Cuttack-Barabati assembly segment, former minister Jaynarayan Mishra will contest from Sambalpur seat.

BJP's state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan will contest from Chilika assembly segment, while Padmapur MLA Pradeep Purohit has been re-nominated from the seat.

Leader of the BJP Legislature Party K V Singhdeo will contest from his Patnagarh assembly segment, while his wife Sangeeta has been named as a BJP candidate to contest from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat.

The BJP's Brajrajnagar MLA Radharani Panda has been named as the party candidate from her own seat. Remuna MLA Gobind Das has also been made a candidate from his constituency.

BJP Mahila Morcha president will contest from Nimapara assembly segment, while former minister Surama Padhi will contest from Ranpur. Irani Ray and Bharati Behera will contest from Nayagarh and Khalikote assembly seats respectively.

In the first list, the BJP fielded nine women.