Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday released the first list of his party candidates for the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections.
The Odisha ruling party announced the names of nine candidates out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik himself will contest from the Hinjili Assembly segment in Ganjam district.
The BJD fielded its general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Union Minister and BJP candidate Dharmendra Pradhan.
Odisha Minister Sudam Marndi will contest from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat.
BJD leader and former Indian Hockey skipper Dilip Tirky will take on former Union Minister and sitting MP Jual Oram in the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat.
The other candidates for Lok Sabha seats were:
- Lambodar Nial (Kalahandi)
- Ansuman Mohanty (Kendrapara)
- Prajip Kumar Majhi (Nabarangpur)
- Manmath Routray, who joined BJD from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat
- Kausalya Hikaka (Koraput)
- Ranjita Sahu (Aska)
The BJD also announced the names of 72 candidates for the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.
(With PTI inputs)
