Stay updated with breaking news from Odisha Assembly. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Of the candidates for 72 assembly and 15 Lok Sabha seats declared by BJD, at least two dozen have got tickets due to their dynastic connections. | Latest News India
Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD in Odisha on Friday suffered a jolt when two of its former MLAs resigned from the primary membership of the party.
Bhartruhari Mahtab, a six-term BJD MP from Cuttack, joined the BJP after talks to renew ties with BJD failed. Son of former Odisha CM Krushna Hari Mahtab, he was a founding BJD member and active parliamentarian. Damayanti Beshra, a Padma Shri awardee and Santhali activist, and actor-politician Siddhant Mahapatra also joined BJP. BJP aims to field BJD leaders in Odisha's Assembly and general elections. Mahtab is known for his well-researched speeches and interventions in parliamentary committees. BJP's failure to ally with BJD is a setback as it targets over 400 NDA seats.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has returned to the electoral fray after 15 years, visited Jagannath temple in Puri to seek blessings from the sibling deities. Pradhan, who is a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, has been nominated for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which will be an acid test for him. The BJP will contest the polls without an alliance with the BJD, while Sambit Patra has been re-nominated from Puri.
Pradhan returned to contesting elections after a gap of 15 years after he was nominated from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, which is the epicentre of western Odisha