Bhubaneswar: Kalinga Sena, a political party in Odisha, has officially announced Mahendra Patnaik as its candidate for the upcoming by-election in Jharsuguda. Hemant Rath, the party’s leader, revealed that Patnaik, a highly educated youth from Jharsuguda, will be their MLA candidate in the by-poll. Rath also mentioned that people will vote for Patnaik on the cricket bat sign. The announcement was made during a press conference held in Bhubaneswar.
Rath expressed confidence that Patnaik would be the first choice for the people of Jharsuguda in the upcoming by-poll. Patnaik, who was present at the press conference, stated that the people of Jharsuguda have been neglected and emphasized that the Kalinga Sena represents the youth and “Odia Asmita” (Odia pride) in the state. He further added that the Kalinga Sena’s emphasis on these issues would garner strong support from the people of Jharsuguda.
With Kalinga Sena officially announcing its candidate, the two other major political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress, are expected to name their candidates soon. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had already announced its candidate for the by-poll as Dipali Das. The Jharsuguda by-poll was necessitated due to the unfortunate death of sitting MLA and Health Minister Naba Das on January 29.
