Kharabela Swain not given ticket from BJP, will contest as independent candidate
Bhubaneswar: Reports say that on Monday, senior political leader Kharabela Swain will contest as an independent candidate in Odisha. He was not given a BJP ticket.
He announced this yesterday as the list of 18 candidates for Odisha BJP was announced and his name was missing from the list.
Further reports say that Balasore, Kharabela Swain himself was hopeful. But the party has again nominated Pratap Sarangi yet again. Later, he said that he will fight as an independent candidate in Balasore.
Speaking at a press meet at Balasore on Monday, Swain alleged that his name was expunged from the list of candidates just a few hours before the formal announcement at the behest of some vested interest groups. Swain contested the last general elections in 2019 on a BJP ticket from Kandhamal constituency. However, he refused to stand from the same constituency this time. Swain asserted that he has the backing of RSS members.
“I have decided to contest from Balasore constituency as an independent candidate and will join the BJP if I win. I contested from Kandhamal in the last general election following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions. However, I had earlier informed the party leadership that I will not contest from Kandhamal again. I have urged the party to allow me to contest from Balasore this time,” Swain said.
“I will not resign from BJP but the party can expel me. Party was supposed to give me the ticket but they didn’t. I wasn’t given the ticket due to some vested interest groups and I will expose the names after elections,” asserts Swain.
He has been in Balasore for 25 years. Mahameghabahan Aira Kharabela Swain aka Kharabela Swain resigned from the civil services and joined politics. He was elected from Balasore in 1998, 1999 and 2004, said reliable reports in this regard.
Ms Kalinga