As speculated, BJD supremo and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik will contest from Kantabanji Assembly seat in the upcoming 2024 elections. The air was cleared after BJD announced the fifth list of Assembly candidates for the upcoming crucial elections on Wednesday.
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik announced the candidates' list in a video message today.
Similarly, the candidature of two leaders- Prasanna Acharya and Rohit Pujari has been swapped. Prasanna Acharya will now contest from Rairakhol while Pujari has been fielded from Sambalpur.
Earlier, BJD had nominated Acharya from Sambalpur and he was not happy over his candidature from Sambalpur as he was keen to contest from Rairakhol Assembly seat.
Here is the list of BJD candidates:
Laxmipriya Nayak- Chitrakonda
Naveen Patnaik- Kantabanji
Barsha Singh Bariha- Padampur
Arundhati Kumari Devi- Deogarh
Rajendra Chatria- Kuchinda
Sanjukta Singh- Angul
Dilip Nayak- Nimapada
Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi- Sanakhemundi
Indira Nanda- Jeypore
Rohit Pujari- Sambalpur
Prasanna Acharya- Rairakhol