2019 Elections: BJD announces 18 candidates, many sitting MLAs retained

Bhubaneswar: Once again the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has reposed faith on several sitting MLAs to sail through the 2019 elections. Despite massive public outrage over misbehaviour shown towards Pulwama attack martyr’s relative, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik fielded party’s sitting MLA Debashish Samantaray from Barabati-Cuttack Assembly constituency.

During today's announcement, BJD chief today retained several old faces and sitting MLAs including Chandra Sarathi Behera (Cuttack Sadar), Amar Satpathy (Barachana), Maheswar Mohanty (Puri), Bibhuti Balabantray (Jatni) have been given party tickets while seven sitting MLAs in the 18 constituencies announced today, have been denied tickets. Senior leader Damodar Rout’s son Sambit Routray will contest the upcoming polls from Paradip Assembly constituency.

BJD so far has announced candidates for 117 Assembly seats out of the total 147.

The list of BJD candidates for Assembly seats announced today:

1. Jatni: Bibhuti Balabantaray
2. Puri: Maheswar Mohanty
3. Barabati-Cuttack: Debasish Samantara
4. Cuttack Sadar: Chandra Sarathi Behera
5. Tirtol: Bishnu Das
6. Rengali: Reena Tanti
7. Jashipur: Golak Bihari Nayak
8. Bangiriposhi: Sudam Marandi
9. Saraskana: Amar Singh Tudu
10. Udala: Srinath Soren
11. Balasore: Jeevan Pradeep Das
12. Jaleswar: Aswini Kumar Patra
13. Badasahi: Brundaban Das
14. Bhadrak: Sanjeev Malik
15. Soro: Parsuram Dhada
16. Badachana: Amar Prasad Satpathy
17. Rajnagar: Dhruba Sahu
18. Paradeep: Sambit Routray