CM meets BJD leaders to select candidates for 4 LS seats

Bhubaneswar: As the process for a pre-poll alliance with the BJP is in limbo, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Thursday held discussions with his party leaders for selecting candidates for four Lok Sabha seats and their corresponding 28 Assembly segments. He reviewed political situations in Aska, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar and Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituencies. Of these four parliamentary seats, Aska, Berhampur, and Kandhamal are now held by the BJD while the BJP won the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency five years ago.

“The party is keen on securing the Bhubaneswar seat as it is a prestigious one,’’ a senior BJD leader said. The party leaders discussed the selection of candidates and organisational activities during the meeting, he said.

Naveen also held a meeting with BJD leaders on Wednesday to select candidates for Koraput and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituencies and their corresponding Assembly segments. Senior leaders, legislators, party functionaries and the district observers of both the Lok Sabha seats attended the meeting at the ‘Naveen Niwas’ here.

The Congress won the Koraput Lok Sabha seat in 2019, while the BJD secured the Nabarangpur constituency.

Both Koraput and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seats are reserved for tribal candidates.

The BJD had on Monday also discussed the selection of candidates in Puri and Kendrapara Lok Sabha seats. ‘’We decided to prepare a list of candidates as there was no progress on the talks on the possible alliance with the BJP,’’ another senior BJD leader said.

A BJP team from Odisha has been camping in New Delhi, holding meetings with central leaders over seat sharing with Biju Janata Dal for the past four days.

Elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly in the State will be held in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.