Bhubaneswar: Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Achyuta Samanta will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency in Odisha on Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ticket, party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced on Monday.
Besides Kandhamal, Patnaik also announced candidates for eight other Lok Sabha seats out of total 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The eight other Lok Sabha candidates include Kousalya Hikaka (Koraput), Ramesh Majhi (Nabarangpur), Puspendra Singh Deo (Kalahandi), Kalikesh Singh Deo (Bolangir), Chandra Sekhar Sahu (Berhampur), Prasanna Acharya (Bargarh), Sunita Biswal (Sundergarh) and Pramila Bisoi (Aska).
54-year-old Samanta, founder of KIIT and KISS, entered in active politics by joining BJD in March last year. Soon after joining the regional party, he was elected as Rajya Sabha Member from Odisha.
Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat is represented by Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, who became MP after winning a by-election in 2015 following the demise of her husband Hemendra Singh, who had been elected in 2014 general elections.
The ensuing simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are slated to be held in four phases in April.
Also Read: BJD Releases Candidates’ List For 1st Phase Elections In Odisha
