Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), May 2: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) unveiled its final picks for three Assembly seats and made a revision to a previously announced MLA nominee on Thursday. BJD President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik disclosed the selections, naming Sabitri Pradhan for Khandapada, Sukanta Nayak for Nilagiri, and Sandhyarani Das for Korei.
Sandhyarani Das, mother of BJD organizational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, emerged as the nominee, replacing incumbent MLA Ashok Kumar Bal. This strategic move is viewed as a contingency plan for Pranab, currently vying for the Sambalpur LS seat against BJP’s Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sandhyarani, wife of Ashok Das, a prominent figure in Korei politics, brings considerable influence to the region, having clinched the seat five times.
Similarly, Sabitri, chairperson of Bhapur block, secured her nomination following the expulsion of sitting MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik from the party. Meanwhile, Sukanta Nayak, who previously won the Nilagiri seat twice under different party affiliations, rejoined the BJD fold after a brief stint with the BJP.
In another adjustment, the BJD swapped its candidate for the Deogarh Assembly seat, a segment under the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. Romanch Ranjan Biswal now steps in for Bamanda ‘Rani’ Arundhati Devi, wife of former Deogarh king and BJP’s Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Dev.
