Odisha Elections: BJP releases new list of candidates for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday released new list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in Odisha. The party has also released list for the Odisha Assembly polls. Candidates for two parliamentary constituencies and nine Assembly seats have been announced. Kharbela Swain who joined the BJP earlier today will be contesting from Kandhamal parliamentary constituency. Odisha which will go for a simultaneous poll along with Lok Sabha in four phases beginning from April 11. On Saturday, BJP released the second list of candidates for Assembly Elections.

The second list has the names of 22 candidates. The list was released by the party following the BJP's Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari among others. On Thursday, the BJP announced candidates for 99 of the 147 Assembly 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 Biju Janata Dal headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or the Congress. 
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 KV 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.

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. The BJP fielded nine women for the Assembly polls.