BJP releases 112 candidates for Assembly polls, New face against Naveen Patnaik in Hinjili

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced candidates for 112 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.
The list comprises State BJP President Manmohan Samal (Chandbali), Leader of the Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra (Sambalpur), former Leader of the Opposition Pradipta Naik (Bhawanipatna), and former State BJP President K V Singhdeo (Patnagarh). The BJP has opted to re-nominate most of its incumbent MLAs, with the exception of Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra for Brahmagiri. Mohapatra’s niece Upasana, daughter of former Congress heavyweight Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, will be stepping in as his replacement.

New face against Naveen in Hinjili

In the Hinjli Assembly constituency, where BJD President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is seeking his sixth consecutive term, the BJP has introduced a new contender. Sisir Mishra, the BJP’s MLA candidate for the seat, is the younger sibling of the late Sarat Mishra, a prominent BJP figure who worked diligently to establish the party’s presence in Ganjam. Sisir previously served as a coordinator for BJP candidate and lawyer Pitambar Acharya during the 2019 elections in Hinjili.

Additionally, Pradeep Panigrahi, now aligned with the BJP and running for the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, could also contribute to the BJP’s campaign in Hinjili. Panigrahi’s familiarity with the constituency, having managed it on behalf of the CM for several years, could prove advantageous in the election efforts.