Achi news desk-
Naveen Patnaik (file photo)
– Photo: Social Media
expansion
There is a race among the leaders to switch parties ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) expressed confidence in about 30% leaders from other parties. Of the 20 candidates announced by the BJD for the 21 Lok Sabha seats, it has given tickets to at least seven leaders hailing from either the BJP or the Congress.
Trust in leaders who joined the party after switching parties
The leaders on whom Patnaik has expressed confidence for the Lok Sabha elections are Surendra Singh Bhoi (Bolangir), Parinetha Mishra (Bargarh), Brigo Baksitra (Brahmpur), Manmath Rotri (Bhubaneswar), Ansuman Mohanty (Kanderpara), Pradeep Majhi (Navarang Maj hi) and Danorjai Sidhu (Kyunjahar). While several senior leaders, including former MP Prasana Patsani, were in the race for the party’s ticket from the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, Naveen Patnaik preferred to opt for Manmath Routray, son of six-time Congress MLA Suresh Routray. Within hours of joining the regional party, he was given the BJD ticket. In the case of the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, Patnaik refused to re-nominate the party’s sitting MP Chandrashekhar Sahu. The party promoted Sahu to the position of vice-president and chairman of the manifesto committee before announcing the name of Brigo Baksipetra as its candidate.
Similar was the case with BJP leader Parineeta Mishra. She and her husband Sushant joined the BJD after quitting the BJP on Wednesday afternoon and were given tickets in the evening. Baxiptera, who has been the BJP’s vice-president and party cadre for the past 23 years, will be pitted against Pradeep Panigarhi, Patnaik’s former close aide. Panigrahi was expelled from BJD in November 2020. In the Balangir parliamentary constituency, BJD fielded three-time Congress MLA and former minister Surendra Singh Bhoi. He joined the party on March 29th and received the ticket on April 3rd.
