Odisha Assembly elections: CM Naveen Patnaik files nomination from Hinjili seat

Bhubaneswar, April 30 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday filed his nomination papers at the Chhatrapur sub collector’s office for the Hinjili Assembly constituency in Ganjam district.

CM Patnaik has represented the Assembly constituency five times consecutively since 2000. He is eying the seat for the sixth time to become the longest-serving chief minister of India.

Patnaik’s close aide and former bureaucrat V.K. Pandian, the party nominees for Berhampur and Aska Lok Sabha seats, Bhrugu Baxipatra and Ranjita Sahoo, and BJD candidate for Bhanjanagar Assembly segment, Bikram Keshari Arukha were present during the filing of nomination by the BJD supremo.

Principal opposition Bharatiya Janata party has fielded Sisir Mishra from the Hinjili Vidhan Sabha seat. And, Rajanikant Padhi has been nominated by Congress for the Assembly seat.

CM Patnaik along with V.K. Pandian arrived at the temporary helipad at Narasinghpur Chhak near the famous Maa Tara Tarini temple Tuesday morning. He later offered 'puja' at the shrine before filing the nominations.

The BJD supremo will contest from two Assembly constituencies -- his home turf Hinjili and Kantabanji Assembly seat in Bolangir district in western Odisha.

He is yet to file a nomination for the Kantabanji Vidhan Sabha seat.

In 2019, Patnaik also contested in the Bijepur seat of Bargarh district along with the Hinjili seat. However, he later resigned as MLA from Bijepur.

Polling will be held in the Hinjili Assembly segment of Aska Lok Sabha constituency on May 20.

Notably, the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1.

The results of the polling for both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha will be out on June 4.