Bhubaneswar: Criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the delay in finalizing candidates for all Assembly seats in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said on Sunday that the saffron party’s search for suitable nominees appears to be an ongoing struggle due to a shortage of leadership.
According to Ipsita Sahoo, spokesperson for BJD, despite senior BJP leaders indicating since April 10 that the party would soon release a list of additional candidates, no names have been put forward yet. Sahoo commented, “It appears that BJP’s quest for candidates for the upcoming elections is still underway.” She further alleged, “Even though BJP has welcomed several new members, many of them are hesitant to contest, fearing potential defeat against BJD candidates.”
Sahoo claimed that recent additions to the BJP fold have already communicated their reservations about competing against BJD candidates in the state. “We anticipate that BJP will finalize all its candidates before the nomination deadline,” she added.
It’s noteworthy that while BJP has already disclosed its candidates for all 21 Lok Sabha seats and 112 out of 147 Assembly seats in Odisha, BJD has also named its contenders for all 21 Lok Sabha seats. However, the ruling party is yet to reveal candidates for 30 Assembly seats, having announced names for 117 MLA candidates thus far.