BJD fields Sarojini Hembram from Baripada Assembly seat

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha on Sunday announced the candidature of its Rajya Sabha MP Sarojini Hembram from Baripada Assembly seat in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district.

The nomination of Hembram, a former minister in Odisha, was announced by BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Daughter of former minister Chaitanya Prasad Majhi, Hembram replaces sitting MLA and deputy Speaker in the state Assembly, Sananda Marandi.

The state is going to simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

Hembram was first elected on a BJD ticket from Bangiriposi Assembly seat in 2009 and became the minister for textile, handlooms and handicrafts in the Odisha Government.

She was nominated as the partys Rajya Sabha member in 2014. Her tenure in the Upper House of Parliament will expire in April 2020.

With this, the BJD has fielded six Rajya Sabha members to contest from Lok Sabha and Assembly seats.

While Prasanna Acharya, Achyut Samant and Anubhav Mohanty are contesting from Bargarh, Kandhamal and Kendrapara Lok Sabha seats respectively, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Pratap Deb have been fielded from Khandapada and Aul Assembly seats respectively.

The BJD has declared candidates for all 21 Lok Sabha seats. However, out of 147 Assembly seats, it is yet to announce its candidate for only Kendrapada constituency.