--Picks up ex-MLA Anshuman for LS: BJD supremo and CM Naveen Patnaik announced candidates for the Kendrapada Lok Sabha and four Assembly seats out of 7 under it.

With the BJD nominating former MLA of Rajnagar Anshuman Mohanty for the Kendrapada Parliamentary constituency, it is going to be a straight fight between him and former MP of Kendrpada and BJP’s nominee Baijayant Panda. Anshuman is son of veteran leader and former Minister late Nalinikant Mohanty, who recently joined BJD by quitting Congress.

After a long gap, the BJD has provided ticket to a native of Kendrapada to contest from Kendrapada LS segment. In 2009 and 2014, Baijaynt had won on BJD ticket from the seat, while cine star Anubhav Mohanty won the LS seat in 2019 by locking horns with BJP nominee Baijyant. By then Baijayant had switched over to the BJP from BJD.

In Rajnagar, the supporters of Anshuman were unhappy as Anshuman got a ticket for Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat while they expected him to contest from Rajnagar Assembly seat. Sitting MLA, Dhruba Sahu, once again bagged the BJD party ticket to contest from his home turf, Rajnagar.

Similarly, the BJD supremo reposed faith on his party’s stalwart leaders Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Pratap Keshari Deb by repeating them to contest from their home turf Mahakalapada and Aul Assembly seats, respectively.

To the surprise, greenhorn Arabinda Mohapatra, son of veteran BJP leader, Bijay Mohapatra, who recently joined BJD, also was awarded BJD ticket to contest from Patkura Assembly seat. Patnaik reposed faith on him to encourage youths by putting an end to the family politics of late Bed Prakash Agrawalla and his MLA wife Sabitiri in Patkura. While addressing the media, Arabinda thanked the BJD president for showing him the favour.

When asked how he would cope with the dissidents in Patkura Assembly seat, Arabinda said steps have been taken to calm the disgruntled ones.