Ahead of the General Elections, the list of aspirants for the Keonjhar lok Sabha seat from the BJD is getting longer every passing day. The race among the aspiring candidates has assumed a great deal of importance in the context of the growing unpopularity of sitting BJD MP Jaswant Narayan Singh laguri and a consensus in the district party unit not to field him again and instead present a new face for the lok Sabha seat.

laguri, son of former Congress MlA Dhanurjay laguri, was a Youth Congress leader and Congress MP candidate in 2004 elections but he switched over to the BJD just before the 2009  elections. Known as a faithful follower of BJD rebel Pyarimohan Mohapatra, he started facing resistance within the district cadres after Mohapatra’s expulsion from the party. Recently, his alleged involvement in misappropriation of MPlAD funds in his native village has put him in a spot for which the district committee is in favour of a new face from the party for the lS seat.

Among the aspiring candidates, Brudaban Soren and Saharai Oram are front runners for the party ticket. Brundaban, a degree engineer from NIT, Rourkela is the nephew of former MP Harihar Soren and brother-in-law of Janata Dal leader and former Minister Chhotray Majhi. He has recently resigned from his senior post in Bharat Petroleum and has joined the BJD with the hope of contesting in next lS polls.

Saharai Oram, former Minister in Janata Dal Ministry, is a senior BJD leader from Champua who has represented the Assembly several times. After Champua Assembly seat was declared unreserved, he has expressed his desire to be the party candidate from the Keonjhar lS seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST). Patna MlA Hrusikesh Naik, who has represented the Assembly for three times, has also expressed his interest for the

lS seat before retiring from politics. Other aspirants include BJD Youth leader Er Radhakanta Naik, former Zilla Parishad Vice Chairman Chitta Munda, district BJD secretary Dr PK Nayak, former medical officer of Basudevpur CHC Dabar Munda, and Ashwini Ku Nayak. These candidates are trying their best to exercise their lobby with the top leadership in the BJD to get the ticket for the high-profile lS seat.