Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has fielded at least eight turncoats for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Odisha.
The Naveen Patnaik-led party even dropped a few sitting MPs and gave tickets to turncoats for the 2024 Parliamentary elections in the state.
The regional party has dropped sitting Lok Sabha MP from Kendrapara Anubhav Mohanty and picked former MLA Ansuman Mohanty for 2024 polls. Ansuman, the son of former minister Nalinikant Mohanty, had joined the BJD after resigning from the Congress party some days ago.
The BJD gave ticket to Bhrugu Baxipatra, who recently joined the regional party after quitting the BJP, to fight the polls from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat. The party has denied ticket to sitting Berhampur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu.
Former MP Pradeep Majhi got the BJD nomination for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat for the ensuing polls. The party has dropped sitting MP Ramesh Chandra Majhi and gave him a ticket to fight the Assembly elections from Jharigaon segment.
Pradeep had joined the BJD after quitting the Congress party a few years ago.
Similarly, Dhanurjay Sidu got the BJD ticket for Keonjhar Lok Sabha seat. Sidu had shifted his allegiance to BJD from BJP in 2022. The ruling party has dropped its sitting MP Chandrani Murmu.
The BJD has chosen former minister Surendra Singh Bhoi as its candidate for Balangir Lok Sabha constituency. Bhoi had joined the BJD after quitting the Congress party recently.
Similarly, the ruling party has picked pilot-turned-politician Manmath Routray to contest the polls from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency. Manmath, the son of Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray, was reportedly associated with the Grand Old party for some days. The Congress party had suspended Manmath for violation of party discipline last year.
The regionally party has nominated Parineeta Mishra as its candidate for Bargarh Lok Sabha seat. Parineeta and her husband had joined the BJD after resigning from the BJP a few days ago.
The party gave its ticket to Lekhasri Samantasinghar, a former BJP leader, to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Balasore. Samantasinghar had joined the BJD recently.
