Ending speculation, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announced its candidates for four Rajya Sabha seats, balancing it with leaders from western and coastal Odisha, a minority and a woman candidate.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced the names of Sultan Dev, Manas Ranjan Mangraj, Sasmit Patra and Niranjan Bishi.
The elections will be held on June 10 and June 13.
Dev has served the party for a long time and has also been a spokesperson. The BJD supremo rewarded her loyalty by choosing her over other women candidates. Patnaik chose Dev, who has been an advisor to the Department of Women and Child Development since 2019.
Dev said: “Patnaik has been emphasizing on women and child development. CMs work for all categories and all sectors. I will work under the direction of the Chief Minister and will take up the interest of Odisha in the Rajya Sabha. I am ready to work with integrity.”
Mangraj has been looking after the media affairs of the BJD and later the state government. He has been rewarded for his loyalty and media management. He is the OBC face in the nomination. Mangraj said, “I will raise the demands of Odisha in the Upper House.”
Patra performed impressively during his Rajya Sabha tenure and was the party’s chief spokesperson for a long time. He represents the youth and belongs to the minority community. Patra said: “I will try to live up to the CM’s trust. Developing Odisha and projecting the demand to the center will be a priority.
The surprising entry is Niranjan Bishi, who recently emerged as the party’s tribal face and heads the West Odisha Tribal Welfare Association. It has a good presence in Balangir, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and other Western Odisha districts. He has been drafted to strengthen the party’s base in western Odisha.
“We will see how the Scheduled Tribes can be benefited through various schemes,” Bishi said.
By regional representation, Bishi is from western Odisha, Dev is from undivided Cuttack (Coastal Odisha), and Mangaraj is from Balugaon in Khurda, which is also coastal Odisha. Patra is a native of Kandhamal-Gajapati region of southern Odisha.
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