Patnaik, Pandian among star campaigners of BJD

Patnaik, Pandian among star campaigners of BJD

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and bureaucrat-turned-politician Kartik Pandian were on the list of 40 star campaigners released by the BJD for the first two phases of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the eastern state.

Elections to 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly constituencies in Odisha will be held in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.

Patnaik is contesting from two assembly seats -- Hinjili in Ganjam district and Kantabanji in Bolangir district -- while Pandian is not in the poll fray.

BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, who is pitted against Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, is also among the star campaigners.

Several ministers and senior BJD leaders are in the list, including Debi Prasad Mishra, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Ashok Chandra Panda, Niranjan Pujari, Pratap Jena, Sasmit Patra and Pratap Keshari Deb, a party release said on Saturday.

There are also five women leaders in the list, besides actor-turned-Rajya Sabha MP Muzibulla Khan.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)