Congress names 9 more Assembly candidates in Odisha

Bhubaneswar:The All India Congress Committee on Sunday announced candidates for nine more Assembly seats in Odisha.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Niranjan Patnaik will contest from the Bhandaripokhari Assembly seat in Bhadrak district apart from the Ghasipura Assembly seat in Keonjhar district.

Nalinikanta Mohanty will contest from Bhadrak, Sitakanta Mohapatra from Barchana, Rabindranath Kar from Salepur, Bibhranshu Sekhar Lenka from Mahakalapada, Dr Lalatendu Mohapatra from Balikuda-Ersama and Satyabrata Patra from Nimapara.

The party has replaced two of its candidates. Debi Prasad Mallick has been fielded in place of Bibhu Prasad Tarai for Tirtol Assembly seat while Smruti Rekha Pahi was replaced with Kisan Panda for Dharmasala.

Meanwhile, the Biju Janata Dal on Sunday announced to field Sarojini Hembram from Baripada Assembly constituency.

Sarojini, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, was elected as an MLA from the Bangriposi constituency in 2009 and became a Minister in Naveen Patnaik government.