Bhubaneswar, March 27:  The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) unveils its inaugural roster of candidates for the upcoming 2024 elections in Odisha, introducing 13 fresh faces among the 72 MLA contenders announced by party head Naveen Patnaik. Notable among these newcomers are Sanjay Das, representing Dhamnagar, and Sujata Sahu, vying for Jajpur. Additionally, incumbent MLAs Nityananda Sahoo of Basta and Sabitri Agarwalla of Patkura have been replaced by Arvind Mohapatra and Subhasini Jena, respectively.

The BJD has executed candidate swaps in certain constituencies, with Sanjib Kumar Mallick, erstwhile victor from Bhadrak in the 2019 election, shifting to Bhandaripokhari. Conversely, three-term MLA Prafulla Samal from Bhandaripokhari will now contest from Bhadrak.

Likewise, incumbent MLA Umakanta Samantaray from Satyabadi transitions to Brahmagiri, while Sanjay Das Burma, previously defeated in Satyabadi in 2019, reemerges as the candidate for the constituency.

The party strategically nominates the offspring of two esteemed leaders to potentially leverage any sympathetic sentiments arising from their demises. Biplab Patro, son of former speaker Surjya Narayan Patro, seeks election from Digapahandi, while Sunil Mohanty, son of former MLA Maheswar Mohanty, vies for Puri Sadar, currently represented by the BJP. Similarly, Chinmayananda Srirup Deb, son of incumbent MLA Usha Devi, receives the nomination for Chikiti.

Notably, Kalikesh Singh Deo, previously a Member of Parliament, shifts focus to an assembly constituency in this electoral cycle.

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