BJP makes inroads into Dhenkanal

Dhenkanal: The BJP has made inroads into the undivided Dhenkanal district in the 2024 elections. Rudra Narayan Pany of the BJP won the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJD’s Abinash Samal by a margin of 76,567 votes.

Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan of BJP won the Parjanga Assembly seat by defeating Nrusingha Charan Sahu of BJD. Bibhuti polled 1,00,595 votes whereas Sahu managed to get 68,433 votes. In 2019 elections, Sahu had defeated Bibhuti by a margin of only 740 votes.

Talking to mediapersons after his victory, Bibhuti thanked the people of Parjanga and said he would translate Modi’s guarantee into action for the development and welfare of the people. Satrughan Jena of BJP won from Kamakshyanagar Assembly seat by defeating former Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik of BJD by a margin of 4,621 votes. Satrughan polled 84,151 votes whereas Mallik secured 79,530 votes. Mallik had won from Kamakshyamagar seat in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 and was minister in Naveen-led Cabinet twice. In 2019, Satrughan was defeated by Mallik.

After facing defeat in four consecutive elections, Krushna Chandra Patra of BJP defeated ex-MLA Sudhir Kumar Samal of BJD by a margin of 20,439 votes to win the Dhenkanal Assembly seat. Speaking to reporters, Patra said drinking water, education, irrigation and cold storage facilities will be his priorities. Simarani Nayak, who was denied a BJD ticket at the last moment and had joined the BJP, trounced Mahesh Sahoo of the BJD by a margin of 11,506 votes to win the Hindol Assembly seat. Mahesh Sahoo was elected as BJD MP from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat in 2019.