Congress announces candidates for 9 Assembly seats in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) today announced names of nine candidates for the ensuing elections to the Legislative Assembly of Odisha. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Niranjan Patnaik has been fielded as a candidate from the Bhandaripokhari Assembly seat in Bhadrak district.

Earlier, Patnaik had filed nominations from the Ghasipura Assembly seat in Keonjhar district after he was challenged by BJD minister Badri Narayan Patra.

Apart from Patnaik, the Congress has fielded Nalinikanta Mohanty from Bhadrak, Sitakanta Mohapatra from Barchana, Rabindranath Kar from Salepur, Bibhranshu Sekhar Lenka from Mahakalapada, Dr Lalatendu Mohapatra from Balikuda-Ersama and Satyabrata Patra from Nimapara.

Moreover, the party has replaced two of its candidates. Debi Prasad Mallick has been fielded in place of Bibhu Prasad Tarai for Tirtol Assembly seat while Smruti Rekha Pahi was replaced with Kisan Panda for Dharmasala.

Earlier, Bibhu Prasad Tarai had quit Congress on April 3 and joined BJP. Later the saffron party roped Tarai as its candidate for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat.