Odisha: Several political heavyweights face defeat in elections

Bhubaneswar, June 4 (IANS) Several political heavyweights from both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have either lost or braced for a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls. 

The number of BJD leaders suffering defeat in the current elections is much higher amid a strong 'Modi wave' and a clear anti-incumbency against the Naveen Patnaik led government in Odisha.

CM Patnaik himself is bracing for a defeat in Kantabanji Assembly constituency in Balangir.

He was trailing behind BJP candidate Laxman Bag by 14,299 votes in Kantabanji constituency.

In a sigh of relief for the ruling BJD, CM Patnaik is, however, going to win from his home turf, Hinjili constituency in Ganjam district.

Besides, the BJD heavyweights who have either lost or bracing for defeat include several former ministers such as Ashok Panda, Tukuni Sahoo, Snehangini Chhuria, Prafulla Mallik, Arun Sahu, Sanjay Das Burma, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

In an interesting development, BJP's state president, Manmohan Samal, who played a vital role in the emphatic win of the BJP in Odisha, is trailing behind BJD candidate Byomakesh Ray by 1922 votes in Chandbali constituency in Odisha.

Senior BJP leader Dilip Ray lost the elections to BJD leader Sarada Nayak in Odisha's Rourkela Assembly constituency.

Many other senior leaders across the state faced defeat in the Lok Sabha polls as well.

Senior BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das, who is considered the most powerful leader in the party after CM Patnaik and V.K. Pandian, faced defeat in Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has registered a comfortable win in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat.

Congratulating Pradhan over the victory, Das expressed the hope that he would always work for all round development of Sambalpur parliamentary constituency.

Noted educationist and BJD leader Achyut Samant is also trailing behind the BJP leader Sukant Kumar Panigrahi in Kandhamal constituency.

This apart, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Mohan Patnaik is awaiting defeat in the Puri Lok Sabha constituency. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra was leading by more than one lakh votes in Puri Lok Sabha constituency.

Corporate honcho Santrupta Mishra's maiden political battle also seems to be resulted in defeat.

Six time BJD MP Bhratruhari Mahtab, who switched to BJP just before the polls, was heading towards another victory in Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency seat.