BJD fields Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday renominated outgoing MP Bhartruhari Mahtab to contest from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency.

Mahtab, who is the BJD Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha, is a five-time MP.

Patnaik also announced candidates for nine more Assembly constituencies.

The BJD has fielded former Minister Arabinda Dhali from Jaydev constituency, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Dhali has replaced Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera from the constituency.

Behera is the first Minister, who has been denied a ticket so far.

The party has fielded Prashant Jagdev from Chilika, Jyotindra Nath Mitra from Khurda, Rajendra Kumar Sahu from Begunia, Raj Kishore Dash from Moroda, Nityananda Sahu from Basta, Romancha Ranjan Biswal from Deogarh, Sunanda Das from Bari and Basanti Marandi from Rairangpur.

So far, the BJD has announced candidates for 19 of the state's 21 Lok Sabha seats and 137 of the 147 Assembly seats. It is yet to announce candidates for Dhenkanal and Keonjhar parliamentary seats.

Odisha will see simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

--IANS

cd/nir