After Hinjili, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik files nomination from Kantabanji Assembly seat
By Mahendra Darjee
Bhubaneswar, May 2: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikon, who is seeking his re-election from his Hinjili assembly seat in Ganjam district, filed his nomination for the second seat — Kantabanji in Bolangir district— on Thursday.
Patnaik reached Titilagarh City High School in a special chopper from where he headed to the sub-collector’s office and filed his nomination papers. As the ruling party had finished third in the Kantabanji assembly in the previous 2019 polls, Naveen Patnaik has reportedly decided to fight from the constituency this time apparently to boost morale of the party workers and leaders in the region.
A Congress stronghold, Kantabanji saw Congress’ victory in 2019 elections. Sontosh Singh Saluja, the Congress nominee, won the seat by a slender margin of 128 votes.
Political experts believe a big fight between Patnaik and Congress’ Santosh Singh Saluja. However, BJP has been alleging that the CM is fighting on two seats to ensure a backdoor entry of V Karthikeyan Pandian, a Tamil Nadu-born bureaucrat-turned-politician who has been wielding a lot of influence on the BJD organization and the state government.
On Tuesday, Naveen had submitted his nomination papers from Hinjili, which is scheduled to go to polls on May 20. With this, Patnaik is aiming to secure his sixth consecutive term from the rural constituency in Ganjam district.
The 77-year-old chief minister has declared total assets of Rs 71.07 crore, including movable assets of Rs 14.05 crore and immovable property worth Rs 57.02 crore.
