May 2nd 2024.
In the bustling city of Bhubaneswar, leaders from various political parties made their way to the nomination center to file their papers for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Among them were BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and former central minister Jual Oram, along with several other notable figures from Odisha.
Patnaik, who had already filed his papers from his traditional seat in Ganjam district, chose to also file from the Kantabanji assembly segment in the Bolangir parliamentary constituency in the state's western region. This was a strategic move, as the area is well-connected to three important Lok Sabha seats - Kalahandi, Bolangir, and Bargarh - all of which were won by the opposition BJP in the 2019 elections. In fact, in 2019, Patnaik had contested from two seats - Bijepur and Hinjili - and emerged victorious in both. However, he retained the Hinjili seat and resigned from the Bijepur assembly segment.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is returning to the Lok Sabha elections after a gap of 15 years, also filed his nomination from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. He began the day with a grand roadshow in Sambalpur city, where he also paid his respects at the Samaleswari temple. Speaking to reporters, he expressed confidence in the BJP's victory in Odisha, stating that the blessings of Maa Samaleswari were with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jual Oram, a five-time BJP MP and former Union minister, also submitted his nomination papers for the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat after seeking blessings from his village and tribal god. He is seeking re-election from this seat and will be up against BJD's Dilip Tirkey, who filed his papers on April 30.
There was chaos at the Khurda collectorate when supporters of BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi and BJD MP candidate Manmath Routray clashed while filing their nominations. Sarangi, who had offered prayers at the Maa Bhuasuni temple at Jalna, arrived at the collectorate with a large number of supporters. Her women supporters even organized a scooter rally from Baramunda ground to Khurda. Speaking to the media, Sarangi expressed confidence in her victory from the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, stating that she was fighting for the people of her constituency with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj.
Routray, the son of Congress MLA Suresh Routray, arrived at the collectorate in a bullock cart, blowing conches and accompanied by a large crowd. He spoke of his confidence in a "landmark victory" in the elections, stating that he was a son of Paika (warrior) and the bullock cart represented its symbol. His father, who has been expelled from Congress for supporting his son's candidacy, was seen performing a traditional sword dance during the procession.
The elections in Sundargarh, Sambalpur, and Bhubaneswar will take place on May 20 and May 25 respectively. The citizens of Odisha eagerly await the results to see who will emerge victorious in this highly anticipated election.
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