A day after BJP named Sambit Patra as its candidate for the crucial Puri Lok Sabha seat, the leader on Monday visited Jagannath temple to seek blessings of the Lord. On Sunday, the BJP announced the list of candidates for 18 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.
While the saffron party has fielded Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur, Baijayant Jay Panda has been fielded from Kendrapara. Similarly, the party has fielded Aparajita Sarangi from Bhubaneswar, Jual Oram from Sundargarh, Sambit Patra from Puri, and Pratap Sarangi from Balasore.
"On this auspicious day, I sought the blessings of the Lord for giving me a chance to contest again from the Puri constituency. In the 2019 elections, I had lost by a narrow margin. I feel that Lord wanted me to be with people and I have stood with them for the last 5 years. I have done enough seva and the Lord will bless me this time," said Patra.
According to Patra, the elections were only conducted based on caste, dynastic politics, and other issues prior to 2014. Things have changed after the 2014 elections and the narrative has changed after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he added.
"PM Narendra Modi has been instrumental in bringing a change in the country," Patra added.
Along with Patra, BJP's Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Pradhan also visited Puri Srimandir today.