Bhubaneswar, Apr 2 (Agency) The Congress on Tuesday announced the names of candidates for eight Lok Sabha and 49 Assembly seats in Odisha. The party has renominated its sitting MP from Koraput Saptagiri Shankatr Ulaka and five sitting MLAs in the first phase list. The five sitting MLAs renominated by the party are Santosh Singh Saluja ( Kantabanji),Tara Prasad Bahinipati ( Jeypore), Dr.C S Raazen Ekka( Rajgangpur), Ramesh Chandra Jena (Sanakhemundi) and Dasarathi Gomango (Mohana). In the Bolangir Assembly seat, the party has nominated sitting MLA and veteran leader Narashinga Mishra’s son Samarendra Mishra. Since Narashingha Mishra who was the leader of Opposition of the Congress party in the State Assembly had announced that he would not contest the upcoming elections,the party nominated his son for the Bolangir Assembly seat.
The names of candidates for the eight Lok sabha seats released by the party are Sanjaya Bhoi ( Bargarh), Janardan Dehury (Sundargarh-ST), Manoj Mishra (Bolangir ) Smt Drouoadi Majhi ( Kalahandi), Bhijabal Majhi ( Nabarangpur-ST), Amir Chand Nayak (Kandhamal) Rashmi Ranjan Pattnaik (Berhampur) and Saptagiri Shankar Ulka (Koraput –ST). Odisha Congress President Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapada Assembly seat while former Railway Minister Bhakta Charan Das, also the party’s campaign committee chief will seek election from Narla Assembly seat. The party has fielded Bhakta Das’s son Sagar Charan Das for Bhawanipatna (SC) Assembly seat. Two time Congress MLA from Dabugam Bhujabal Majhi has been nominated to contest Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat while his daughter Lipika Majhi, will contest from Dabugam Assembly seat, held by her father in the past. Bureaucrat turned politician Bijay Patnaik will contest Parlakhemundi Assembly seat and former Indian hockey player Prabodh Tirkey will contest from Talsara(ST) Assembly seat.